LIFE  SAVING 

GEORGE  E.GOSS 


iiiirt 


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University  of 
Southern  R 
Library  Ft 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


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DIVERSITY  of  CALIFORNIA 

LIBRARY 

LOS  ANGELES.  CAUE 


Ut 


LIFE  SAVING 


By 
GEORGE  E.  GOSS,  B.P.E. 

Physical  Director,   Young  Mens  Christian  Association, 
Manila,  P.  I. 

Recently 

Vice  Commodore,  U.  S.  Volunteer  Life  Saving  Corps; 

Swimming  Instructor,  Old  Point   Comfort,   Va. 


Illustrated 


Association  ^rcss 

New  York  :      121   East  28th  Street 

London  :    47  Paternoster  Row,  E.C. 

1910 


3jr6/^' 


Copyright,    1916,   by 

The   International  Committee  of 

Young    Men's    Christian    Associations 


i 
•J 


144-5 


To 
MY  BELOVED  PARENTS 

WHOSE  SACRIFICE  AND  DEVOTION 
HAVE  MADE  POSSIBLE  THIS  WORK, 
AND     TO     MY     BROTHERS     ROBERT 

and  Milton,    I  gratefully 

INSCRIBE    THIS    BOOK. 


PREFACE 

In  most  cases  it  is  impossible  to  indicate 
in  detail   my   indebtedness  for  the  lines  of 
thought   which    are   here    interwoven.      The 
s\  general  considerations  which  are  covered  in 
\  this  subject  have  been  canvassed  by  enough 
-    organizations  to  make  extensive  originality 
out  of  the  question.     Whatever  freshness  of 
^  thought  this  book  may  possess  will  be  found 
"t  in  the  fact  that  only  after  a  long  and  careful 
"  study  of  the  various  agencies  at  work  at  the 
*  present  time  have  the  conclusions  contained 
Therein  been  reached.     Particularly  have  I  in 
^JJ  mind  the  handbooks,  pamphlets,  reports,  and 
$  other  material  that  have  been  issued  by  ex- 
rfj  isting  organizations,   and  it  is  with  a  deep 
sense  of  gratitude  to  the  societies  engaged  in 
this  work  and  to  the  individuals  who  have 
aided  me  in  the  correlating  of  this  material 
that  I  present  this  book.     I  am  especially 
grateful  to  G.  H.  Mummert,  Physical  Direc- 
tor   Fort    McKinley,    P.    I.,    Young    Men's 
Christian  Association,  who  appears  with  the 
writer  in  the  illustrations. 

George  E.  Goss. 
July  1,  1916. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  A  Call  to  Duty 1 

Accidents   in   the  water  occur  con- 
stantly    1 

The  loss  of  life  is  frightful 4 

Comparatively   few   can   render  as- 
sistance    (J 

Anyone  can  learn 7 

Everyone  should  learn 7 

The    knowledge    gives    a    sense    of 

power 9 

These  facts  constitute  a  call  to  duty.  9 

II.  Essential    Swimming    Strokes    to 

Use  in  Rescue  Work 12 

Developing  confidence  in  the  water.  12 

Double  over-arm  stroke 16 

Side  stroke 20 

Breast  stroke 23 

Back  stroke 28 

III.  A  Typical  Rescue 32 

Going  to  the  rescue 32 

What  clothing  to  remove  and  how.  32 

Method  of  entering  the  water 33 

Method  of  approach 34 

Grappling  with  the  victim 36 

Towing  to  shore 37 

ix 


x  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

IV.  Methods  of  Release 40 

1 .  When  held  by  the  wrists 40 

2.  When  clutched  around  the  neck 

from  the  front 41 

3.  When  clutched  around  the  body 

and  the  arms 43 

4.  Strangle  hold 45 

5.  Body  hold  from  rear,  with  scissors 

hold  on  the  legs 49 

6.  Scissors  hold  on  the  body 50 

V.  Methods  of  Rescue 53 

Conduct  of  the  rescuer 53 

1.  When  the  victim  is  passive 54 

2.  When  the  victim  is  not  si  niggling.  57 

3.  When    the    victim    is    struggling 

moderately 57 

4.  When    the    victim    is    struggling 

violently GO 

5.  For  side  stroke  swimmers (50 

6.  When    long    distance   has    to    be 

covered 02 

Recovering  the  victim  from  a  cap- 
sized boat 62 

Recovering  a  body  from  the  bottom  .  64 

VI.  Resuscitation 67 

Actual  cause  of  death 67 

Preliminaries  before  beginning  work 

of  resuscitation 67 

Sclial'er  Method 6!) 

Pulmotor 72 

Importance  of  not  giving  up 74 

Procedure  after  breathing  has  been 

established 75 

Appearances  indicating  death 7(» 


CONTENTS  xi 

CHAPTER  PACK 

VII.  Method  of  Drilling  Mass  Classes 

in  Life  Saving 78 

How  to  form  classes 78 

Suggestions  to  instructors 79 

Preliminary  drill 80 

Release  drill  on  land 85 

Release  drill  in  water 90 

Rescue  drill  on  land 92 

Rescue  drill  in  water 97 

Resuscitation  drill 98 

VIII.  Organizations  in  the  United  States 

Engaged  in  Life  Saving 102 

Massachusetts  Humane  Society..  .  .  102 

U.  S.  Volunteer  Life  Saving  Corps.  .  106 
National     Woman's     Life     Saving 

League 1 1 1 

Young  Men's  Christian  Association  .  1 18 
American    Red    Cross    Life    Saving 

Corps 123 

U.  S.  Life  Saving  Service 135 

IX.  Suggestions 142 

Canoeists  and  boating  parties 142 

Skaters 145 

Bathers 146 

Campers 149 

General  precautions 149 

Bibliography 152 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAOE 

Frontispiece 

Vertical  Floating 1-t 

Start  of  Double  Over-arm  stroke 15 

Middle  of  Double  Over-arm  stroke 15 

Finish  of  Double  Over-arm  stroke 17 

Double  Over-arm  stroke — In  Action 17 

Side  stroke.     Legs  Open !  .  .  19 

Side  stroke.     Legs  Closed 19 

Start  of  Side  stroke 21 

Finish  of  Side  stroke 21 

Side  stroke — In  Action , .  .  .  23 

Start  and  finish  of  Breast  stroke 24 

Breast  stroke — Count  One 24- 

Breast  stroke — Count  Two 25 

Breast  stroke — Count  Three 25 

Breast  stroke — In  Action 27 

Start  and  Finish  of  Back  stroke 29 

Back  stroke — Count  One 29 

Back  stroke — Count  Two 30 

Back  stroke — In  Action 30 

Approaching  a  Drowning  Person I1*.") 

Getting  Behind  a  Drowning  Person 37 

Wrist  Hold 39 

Break  for  Wrist  Hold 39 

xiii 


xiv  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Break  for  Wrist  Hold — In  Action 41 

Neck  Hold  from  Front 42 

Break  for  Neck  Hold 42 

Break  for  Neck  Hold — In  Action 43 

Hold  around  Body  and  Arms 44 

Break  for  Hold  around  Body  and  Arms ....  44 
Break  for  Hold  around  Body  and  Arms — In 

Action 45 

Strangle  Hold 46 

Break  for  Strangle  Hold 46 

Break  for  Strangle  Hold— In  Action 47 

Body  Hold  from  Rear  with  Scissors  Hold  on 

Legs 48 

Break  for  Body  Hold  from  Bear  with  Scissors 

Hold  on  Legs 48 

Break  for  Body  Hold  from  Rear  with  Scissors 

Hold  on  Legs — In  Action 49 

Scissors  Hold  on  Body 51 

Break  for  Scissors  Hold  on  Body 51 

Break  for  Scissors  Hold  on  Body — In  Action.  52 

Rescue  when  Victim  is  Passive 55 

Rescue  when  Victim  is  Passive — In  Action.  .  55 

Rescue  when  Victim  is  Not  Struggling 56 

Rescue  when   Victim  is  Not  Struggling — In 

Action 56 

Rescue    when    Victim    is  Struggling  Moder- 
ately   58 

Rescue  when   Victim   is   Struggling   Moder- 
ately— In  Action 58 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xv 

PAGE 

Rescue  when  Victim  is  Struggling  Violently.  59 
Rescue  when  Victim  is  Struggling  Violently 

— In  Action 59 

Rescue  for  Side  stroke  Swimmers CI 

Rescue  for  Side  stroke  Swimmers — In  Action .  Gl 

Rescue  for  Long  Distance 63 

Rescue  for  Long  Distance — In  Action 63 

Shaking     Water     Out     of     an     Apparently 

Drowned  Person 68 

Resuscitation — Schafer  Method — Count  One.  70 

Resuscitation — Schafer  Method — Count  Two  70 

Pulmotor 73 

U.  S.  Volunteer  Life  Saving  Corps  at  Oak 

Bluffs,  Massachusetts 108 

Student   Life   Saving   Corps — Young   Men's 

Christian  Association  College,  Spring-field, 

Massachusetts 121 

Climbing  into  Canoe  over  End 143 

Stepping  into  Middle  of  Canoe 144 


A  CALL  TO  DUTY 

Accidents  in  the  Water  Occur 
Constantly 

It  is  the  sacred  duty  of  every  normal  per- 
son today  to  know  bow  to  save  life  in  the 
water.  Drowning  accidents  occur  under 
varying  conditions,  and  no  age,  sex,  or  class 
of  society  is  exempt  from  this  danger.  The 
suddenness  of  death  is  remarkable.  When 
the  immersed  person  is  unable  to  swim,  or 
when  no  means  of  rendering  assistance  is  at 
hand,  often  only  a  few  moments  pass  before 
all  is  over. 

The  frequency  of  drowning  accidents  is  due 
to  various  causes.  One  of  these  is  the  devel- 
opment of. suburban  life,  in  consequence  of 
the  congestion  in  our  large  cities.  The  ferry- 
boats which  ply  across  our  rivers  are  crowded 
to  overflowing  with  business  employes,  pleas- 
ure seekers,  and  the  thousands  of  others 
whose  various  duties  call  them  into  the  city. 

l 


2  LIFE  SAVING 

The  statistics  of  any  large  city  show  that 
the  number  of  accidents  which  occur  because 
people  are  jostled  off  these  boats  is  very 
large. 

The  growing  popularity  of  the  summer  va- 
cation, especially  in  America,  is  another 
cause.  The  excursions  on  lakes  and  rivers 
and  the  growth  of  camp  life  menace  every 
year  thousands  of  careless  pleasure  seekers. 
At  the  largest  of  our  bathing  beaches,  life 
guards  are  provided  throughout  the  summer 
to  prevent  any  disasters.  However,  there  are 
hundreds  of  beaches  that  are  used  extensively 
where  there  is  no  one  in  charge — not  even  a 
buoy  or  rope  placed  enabling  anyone  to  render 
assistance.  This  is  especially  true  at  the 
"Old  Swimming  Hole,"  where  boys  congre- 
gate by  the  dozen.  Often  this  is  an  excep- 
tionally dangerous  place,  at  the  bend  of  a 
river,  or  in  a  sheltered  cove  in  a  lake  where 
the  water  is  very  deep. 

Even  in  our  playgrounds  there  have  been 
fatalities,  when  no  guard  was  kepi  near  the 
wading  pool  and  little  children  were  allowed 
to  "paddle"  al  will.  Tn  the  indoor  swimming 
pools,  lack  of  supervision  creates  as  much 
danger  as  anywhere.      Many  pools  are  open 


A  CALL  TO  DUTY  3 

at  all  times  to  the  members  of  the  organiza- 
tions without  ever  having  an  instructor  or 
guard  present.  Thus  the  "dare-devil"  young 
man  who  swims  alone,  or  who  tries  to  outdo 
his  friends  in  long  swims  under  water  or  in 
fancy  diving  often  meets  an  untimely  end. 

As  great  a  danger  as  any  other  lies  in  our 
winter  skating.  In  the  far  north,  where  the 
ice  comes  early  and  remains  thick  all  winter, 
this  is  not  so  evident,  but  in  sections  where 
throughout  the  winter  there  is  alternate  freez- 
ing and  thawing,  accidents  are  numerous. 
The  cutting  of  the  ice  on  lakes  used  by 
skaters  always  causes  conditions  that  must 
be  safeguarded  or  fatalities  will  occur.  The 
new  ice  freezing  over  an  area  that  has  been 
cut  looks  to  the  unsuspecting  person,  espe- 
cially at  night,  just  as  safe  as  the  old  ice,  and 
before  he  is  aware  of  the  danger  he  is  strug- 
gling for  his  life. 

In  the  United  States  and  Canada  every 
year  there  are  from  £0,000  to  L2o,000  accidents 
involving  the  possible  loss  of  life.  Clearly  the 
average  man  is  certain  some  day  to  be  called 
upon  to  render  help.  No  man  prepares  for 
an  emergency  in  a  moment,  and  unless  one 
has  had  previous  study  and  practice,  he  must 


4  LIFE  SAVING 

stand  idly  by,  in  the  presence  of  a  drowning  or 
other  accident,  willing  to  do  anything  in  his 
power,  but  unable  to  give  the  least  assistance. 

The  Loss  of  Life  is  Frightful 
The  loss  of  life  from  drowning  in  individual 
communities  varies  with  the  length  of  the 
city  water  front,  and  the  amount  of  protec- 
tion provided  for  the  citizens.  In  Xew  York 
City,  with  its  hundreds  of  miles  of  water 
front,  accidental  drowning,  instead  of  increas- 
ing with  the  amazing  growth  of  population 
and  the  extended  interest,  in  water  sports,  is 
decreasing  at  a  rate  of  twenty  persons  a  year. 
In  a  large  measure  this  is  due  to  the  efficient 
work  of  the  U.  S.  Volunteer  Life  Saving 
Corps  and  the  more  widespread  knowledge  of 
life  saving.  In  the  United  States  and  Canada 
we  face  the  appalling  fact  that  between  G.000 
and  7,000  lives  are  lost  annually  bv  drowning. 
The  destruction  of  an  American  battleship 
and  crew  staggered  our  nation  and  precipi- 
tated the  war  with  Spain;  and  yet  drowning 
fatalities  destroy  the  lives  of  enough  men 
every  two  months  to  man  our  largest  war- 
ship. This  goes  on  continuously  while  we  sit 
back  as  mere  onlookers. 


A  CALL  TO  DUTY  5 

It  is  only  because  we  are  accustomed  to 
this  waste  of  life,  and  because  we  are  likely 
to  think  that  it  is  inevitable,  that  we  go 
about  our  daily  work,  thinking  little  and  ap- 
parently caring  less  about  the  possible  means 
of  prevention.  Every  such  death  means  a 
saddened  home.  But  most  of  us  remain  in- 
different until  someone  who  is  dear  to  us  is 
lost,  and  we  realize  that  if  we  had  had  the 
necessary  knowledge  the  life  might  have  been 
spared. 

This  loss  of  life  is  heaviest  among  young 
men,  and  in  almost  every  instance  disaster 
could  have  been  averted  if  some  one  present 
had  learned  the  art  of  rescue  from  the  water. 
A  few  summers  ago,  in  a  small  New  England 
town  on  the  banks  of  a  very  treacherous 
river,  a  young  man  with  a  few  companions 
went  swimming  one  afternoon.  While  trying 
to  swim  to  shore  from  a  raft  stationed  a  little 
way  out  in  the  stream  he  went  down.  Instead 
of  ascertaining  exactly  where  he  disappeared, 
his  companions  all  ran  for  help.  Conse- 
quently, when  assistance  arrived  no  one  knew 
where  to  look  for  him,  and  his  body  was 
found  four  hours  afterwards  in  only  five  fed 
of  water.     If  one  of  his  companions  had  had 


6  LIFE  SAVING 

the  judgment  to  ascertain  where  he  disap- 
peared, even  though  he  could  not  effect  the 
rescue,  the  young  man's  life  might  have  been 
saved. 

Comparatively  Few  Can  Render 

Assistance 

The  largest  factor  in  this  frightful  loss  of 
life  is  that  so  few  men  today  are  prepared  to 
render  assistance.  The  percentage  of  men 
who  are  able  to  swim  is  very  small,  and  out 
of  the  thousands  who  know  how  to  swim, 
fewer  still  have  any  definite  and  clear  idea 
as  to  the  method  of  procedure  in  case  of  an 
accident  in  the  water.  Many  a  man,  with 
no  knowledge  of  the  methods  of  rescue, 
heroically  but  foolishly  has  lost  his  own  life 
in  the  endeavor  to  save  a  drowning  person. 
Today  not  more  than  one  out  of  every  two 
hundred  young  men  of  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and 
thirty,  has  a  clear  idea  of  the  principles  of 
life  saving.  If  the  loss  of  life  is  to  be  reduced, 
this  percentage  of  men  equipped  to  give  aid 
must  be  increased.  To  this  end  there  must 
be  a  close  study  of  the  methods  now  used  to 
break  the  different  types  of  holds  by  which 


A  CALL  TO  DUTY  7 

drowning  persons  grasp  a  rescuer,  followed 
by  the  application  of  these  methods  in  defi- 
nite practice. 

Anyone  Can  Learn 

The  simplicity  of  life  saving  is  apparent 
only  to  one  already  equipped  with  the  knowl- 
edge. While  the  element  of  danger  is  always 
prominent,  it  is  but  a  small  factor  in  the 
mind  of  the  rescuer  who  has  a  thorough  un- 
derstanding of  what  to  do.  The  statement 
that  practically  every  man,  woman,  and 
child  can  learn  to  swim  is  not  an  exaggerated 
one,  and  this  is  just  as  true  of  life  saving.  If 
vou  can  learn  to  swim,  you  can  learn  to  save 
life,  and  the  acquiring  of  this  knowledge  is 
so  simple  that  no  man  can  be  excused. 

Everyone  Should  Learn 

It  is  almost  criminal  to  shirk  so  obvious 
and  so  important  a  duty.  The  test  of  true 
citizenship  is  to  prepare  yourself  to  meet  the 
needs  of  vour  fellowmen.  There  have  been 
enormous  sums  contributed  for  hospitals  and 
medical  research.  "We  have  many  very  useful 
and  worthy  societies  to  prevent  crime  and 
vice  and  to  check  the  waste  of  our  forests 


8  LIFE  SAVING 

and  the  defacement  of  our  scenery,  but  there 
are  few  for  the  rescuing  of  drowning  persons. 
Congress  appropriated  millions  of  dollars 
without  hesitation  for  relieving  distress  from 
a  calamity  such  as  befell  the  people  of  San 
Francisco.  Every  American  approved  of  its 
action.  Is  it  of  no  public  interest  that  there 
is  a  life  lost  from  drowning  nearly  every  hour 
of  the  day?  Our  people  face  commercial  and 
political  problems  with  tremendous  earnest- 
ness and  determination.  Why  should  they 
turn  their  backs  on  this  vital  problem  of 
life-waste? 

Looked  at  on  the  economic  side  alone,  the 
question  is  a  serious  one.  If  we  take  the 
figures  of  Professor  Irving  Fisher,  of  Yale, 
and  appraise  each  life  lost  at  only  $1,700, 
and  each  man's  average  earnings  for  a  year 
at  only  $700,  the  economic  gain  to  be  obtained 
from  preventing  this  enormous  loss  of  life  by 
drowning  exceeds  ten  millions  of  dollars  an- 
nually. Far  greater  urgency  is  given  to  the 
problem  when  one  thinks  of  the  higher  values 
that  are  lost  when  a  young  man,  just  equipped 
for  his  life's  work,  is  drowned  simply  because 
no  one  who  knows  how  to  rescue  him  is  a  I 
hand. 


A  CALL  TO  DUTY  9 

The  Knowledge  Gives  a  Sense  of  Power 
Men  who  are  seeking  to  make  the  most  of 
their  lives  are  bound  to  keep  certain  ideals 
before  them.  High  among  these  rank  power 
of  achievement  and  capacity  for  friendship. 
In  learning  to  save  a  human  life  in  the  water 
a  man  gains  the  power  which  comes  from 
achievement,  and  equips  himself  to  fulfil  the 
highest  demands  of  friendship.  All  know  that 
in  nearly  every  case  of  saving  from  drowning 
the  rescuer  assumes  tremendous  personal  risk, 
and  shows  a  devotion  not  unlike  that  of  the 
soldier  on  the  battlefield  who,  in  rescuing  a 
comrade  from  peril,  is  willing  to  lay  down  his 
life  for  his  friend. 

One  should  strive  to  become  proficient,  if 
onlv  for  selfish  reasons.  There  is  hardly  a 
time  in  a  man's  life  when  the  thrill  of  achieve- 
ment so  stimulates  him  and  fills  him  with 
righteous  pride,  as  when  single-handed  he  has 
saved  the  life  of  someone  who,  except  for  his 
efforts,  would  have  been  drowned. 

These  Facts  Constitute  a  Call  to  Duty 

An  irresistible  call  to  duty  is  thus  presented 
to  organizations  like  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  which  holds  itself  responsi- 


10  LIFE  SAVING 

ble  for  the  well-being  of  young  men  and 
which  has  as  its  emblem  the  triangle,  denoting 
the  all-round  development  of  man,  spiritually, 
mentally,  and  physically.  There  are  at  least 
four  hundred  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciations that  have  swimming  pools,  and,  in 
addition,  many  have  boat  clubs  and  camps 
where  members  spend  much  time  in  or  upon 
the  water.  Every  such  Association  should 
have  a  swimming  and  life  saving  club.  An 
illustration  of  what  can  be  done  along  this 
line  is  shown  by  the  work  of  the  Student  Life 
Saving  Corps  of  the  International  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  College  at 
Springfield,  Massachusetts,  where  a  branch  of 
the  U.  S.  Volunteer  Life  Saving  Corps  has 
been  established.  This  is  described  in  a  later 
chapter  in  this  book. 

This  appeal  should  reach  not  only  to  Young 
Men's  Christian  Associations,  but  to  the  Boy 
Scouts  of  America,  the  Young  Women's  Chris- 
tian Associations,  and  to  all  other  organiza- 
tions that  have  as  their  highest  object  service 
to  their  fellows  and  the  development  of  char- 
acter. Let  them  strike  now  and  join  forces 
with  those  already  at  work  for  a  national 
propaganda  of  instruction  in  life  saving,  and 


A  CALL  TO  DUTY  11 

for  advocating  the  general  adoption  of  swim- 
ming and  life  saving  drills  as  a  branch  of  ele- 
mentary education  in  all  cities.  With  the 
existing  societies  as  a  nucleus,  new  impetus 
will  be  given  the  movement  by  every  indi- 
vidual, organization,  and  community  that 
takes  part  in  it.  Thus  it  will  gradually  ex- 
tend to  every  corner  of  the  United  States 
and  Canada,  and  reduce  to  a  minimum  this 
danger  that  has  menaced  life  on  our  conti- 
nent for  so  long. 


II 

ESSENTIAL  SWIMMING  STROKES  TO 
USE  IN  RESCUE  WORK 

Developing  Confidence  in  the  Water 

Swimming  is  an  art  that  has  no  superior 
for  the  development  and  preservation  of 
health.  Its  practice  produces  most  beneficial 
results  upon  the  respiratory  organs  and 
thereby  aids  the  circulation  and  purification 
of  the  blood.  It  also  greatly  stimulates  and 
strengthens  the  muscular  and  mental  ca- 
pacity. As  a  pastime  it  has  few  equals.  The 
pleasure  of  swimming,  whether  outdoors  or  in 
a  natatorium,  can  be  appreciated  only  by  the 
good  swimmer.  The  average  man  tires  after 
a  few  yards  have  been  covered,  and  he  ex- 
periences but  little  of  the  exhilaration  that 
comes  to  an  expert  as  he  glides  swiftly  and 
smoothly  through  the  water.  To  get  real  en- 
joyment and  pleasure  out  of  swimming,  one 
niusl  be  able  to  secure  the  greatest  amount  of 
good  with  the  smallest  expenditure  of  energy. 


12 


SWIMMING  STROKES  13 

In  other  words,  he  must  be  able  to  swim  and 
not  merely  to  struggle  through  the  water  for 
a  given  distance. 

There  have  been  volumes  written  telling  the 
beginner  how  to  learn  to  swim,  and  although 
many  methods  are  advocated  by  different 
writers,  I  believe  that  almost  all  instructors 
will  agree  that  the  first  essential  is  to  develop 
confidence  in  the  water.  After  the  prelimi- 
nary fear  of  this  element  is  taken  away, 
swimming  becomes  simply  the  learning  of 
new  muscle  coordinations  for  the  stroke  that 
is  being  taught.  Generally  beginners  are  afraid 
of  having  the  face  go  under  water.  Nothing 
will  give  more  confidence  to  the  uninitiated 
than  to  stand  waist  deep  in  the  water,  and  after 
grasping  the  hand  of  the  instructor,  place  the 
face  under  water,  and  open  the  eyes.  Care 
should  be  exercised  always  to  have  the  lungs 
full  of  air,  so  that  the  first  act  upon  raising  the 
head  will  be  to  exhale,  thereby  blowing  the 
water  away  from  the  nose  and  mouth.  Almost 
anyone  can  hold  his  breath  for  ten  or  fifteen 
seconds,  and  when  the  first  sting  of  having 
the  eyes  opened  is  past,  the  pupil  will  see 
the  bottom  of  the  pool  and  immediately  will 
gain  confidence  through  an  actual  knowledge 


14  LIFE  SAVING 

of  the  element  in  which  he  is.  No  amount 
of  telling  will  teach  this,  but  the  pupil  will 
learn  it  in  a  very  few  attempts.  The  instruc- 
tor can  illustrate  by  vertical  or  upright 
floating  how  the  human  body  has  nearly  the 
exact  specific  gravity  of  water  (Fig.  2).  See- 
ing this,  the  pupil  can  be  taught  that  it  is 


Fig.  2.     Vertical  Floating 

the  things  we  do  and  not  the  things  we  omit 
to  do  that  make  the  body  sink.  At  no  time  in 
swimming,  except  in  racing,  should  there  be 
a  condition  of  stiff  or  rigid  muscles.  All 
muscles  should  be  relaxed  with  the  sole 
thought  of  endeavoring  quietly  and  easily  to 
follow  the  instructor's  advice. 

Do  not  depend  too  much  upon  your  rela- 
tives or  friends  to  teach  you  to  swim.    There 


SWIMMING  STROKES 


15 


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16  LIFE  SAVING 

is  a  great  deal  of  so-called  fun  indulged  in  by 
the  thoughtless  friend  when  he  "ducks"  a 
beginner,  thereby  adding  to  his  fright.  On 
the  other  hand,  if  you  can  engage  a  recognized 
swimming  instructor,  by  all  means  place  abso- 
lute confidence  in  his  ability  and  in  his 
willingness  to  do  just  the  things  that  should 
be  done,  and  his  desire  to  keep  you  from  any 
danger.  It  is  not  the  object  of  this  book  to 
try  to  teach  any  new  methods  in  swimming, 
but  simply  to  describe  anew  for  the  sake  of 
the  reader  the  essential  strokes  that  must  be 
acquired  before  taking  up  the  study  of  life 


saving. 


Double  Over-Arm  Stroke 


As  this  stroke  enables  one  to  get  through 
the  water  more  quickly  than  any  other,  re- 
gardless of  the  type  of  leg  kick  that  is  used, 
it  is  advisable  to  use  it  in  almost  all  cases  of 
rescue  work  where  speed  in  reaching  the 
drowning  person  is  essential.  This  stroke  has 
the  same  arm  motion  as  both  the  "Crawl" 
and  the  "Trudgeon."  The  swimmer  lies  flat 
upon  the  breast,  with  the  arms  extended  be- 
yond the  head,  but  never  to  full  length 
(Fig.  '*).     They  work  alternately,  that  is,  the 


SWIMMING  STROKES 


17 


18  LIFE  SAVING 

left  hand  enters  the  water  with  a  quick  knife- 
like downward  thrust  with  the  hand  in  a 
spooned  position  and  the  fingers  held  together 
although  not  rigid  (Fig.  4).  The  hand  is  driven 
through  the  water  at  a  brisk  pace,  until  it 
reaches  the  hip;  then  it  is  lifted  clear  of  the 
water,  and  with  the  elbow  still  bent  it  is 
brought  forward  with  a  kind  of  feathering 
motion  of  the  back  of  the  hand  on  the  water 
(Fig.  5).  As  the  left  arm  finishes  its  back- 
ward pull,  the  right  begins  and  they  work 
alternately.  Inasmuch  as  it  is  almost  as  neces- 
sary to  see  where  the  person  in  danger  is 
located  as  it  is  to  use  speed  in  reaching  the 
spot,  it  is  advisable  to  swim  this  double 
over-arm  stroke  with  the  head  out  of  the 
water  facing  the  person  in  distress.  If  this 
is  practiced  it  eliminates  the  question  of 
having  the  face  under  water  and  also  how 
and  when  to  breathe  (Fig.  6). 

Regarding  the  leg  kick  for  this  stroke,  either 
the  "Scissors"  or  "Crawl"  kick  can  be  used 
according  to  inclination,  but  the  latter  is 
preferable.  In  this  the  legs  are  kept  fairly 
stiff  at  the  hips  and  the  knees  are  held  close 
together.  Each  foot  strikes  the  water  with 
the   instep,    and    the   feet   are   never   moved 


SWIMMING  STROKES 


19 


20  LIFE  SAVING 

more  than  twelve  to  eighteen  inches  apart 
from  heel  to  toe.  The  "thrash,"  as  it  is 
termed,  is  performed  without  relation  to  the 
arm  stroke,  and  it  needs  considerable  practice 
to  be  continued  for  a  long  distance. 

Side  Stroke 
In  studying  the  method  of  swimming  the 
side  stroke,  the  pupil  should  at  all  times 
remember  that,  he  is  swimming  on  the  side 
and  not  on  the  breast.  The  best  way  to 
learn  the  "Scissors"  kick,  which  is  the  leg 
motion  in  this  stroke,  is  to  take  hold  of  a 
rail  or  side  wall  of  the  pool,  having  left  hand 
about  water  level  and  the  right  hand  about 
eighteen  inches  below.  Turn  the  body  upon 
the  right  side  and  have  the  legs  move  in  a 
line  parallel  to  the  surface  of  the  water.  The 
first  movement  consists  in  bringing  the  upper 
or  left  leg  forward  a  short  way  and  keeping 
the  knee  of  said  leg  straight  (Fig.  7).  The 
under  or  right  leg  should  be  moved  back, 
bending  it  from  both  hip  and  knee.  When 
the  feel  have  reached  a  spread  of  from  two  to 
three  feet  (according  to  size  of  pupil)  the  legs 
should  be  straightened  and  brought  together 
with  a  decided  snap  (Fig.  8).    The  opening  of 


SWIMMING  STROKES 


21 


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22  LIFE  SAVING 

the  legs  should  be  executed  very  slowly,  but 
all  the  drive  that  is  possible  should  be  put 
into  the  closing. 

The  arm  action  consists  in  the  right  or 
under  arm  being  started  from  beyond  the 
head  with  a  sharp  downward  pull,  at  right 
angles  to  the  water  level,  lasting  until  it 
brushes  the  thigh,  with  the  hand  spooned 
(Fig.  9).  The  left  or  upper  arm  is  placed  on 
the  surface  of  the  water  a  short  distance 
beyond  the  face  and  the  stroke  of  this  arm 
starts  as  the  under  arm  begins  recovery 
(Fig.  10).  It  moves  close  to  the  chest  on  a 
line  at  right  angles  to  the  water  level  and 
the  power  of  both  arms  is  derived  from  this 
pulling  motion.  The  legs  arc  opened  at  the 
finish  of  the  recovery  of  the  upper  arm  stroke, 
and  are  snapped  together  as  this  arm  is 
pulled  down.  The  under  arm  accomplishes 
its  recovery  through  the  water  to  its  position 
beyond  the  head  by  the  hand  being  turned 
sideways,  thumb-side  up,  so  as  to  create  the 
least  resistance,  while  the  upper  arm  in  re- 
covery is  taken  beyond  the  head  through  the 
air.  Breath  is  taken  as  I  lie  upper  arm  comes 
down  (Fig.  11).  It  is,  of  course,  evident 
that  in  case  of  rescue  work  both  arms  cannot 


SYVIMMIXG  STROKES 


23 


always  be  used,  and  when  the  rescuer  holds 
the   drowning   person    in   his    left   arm,    the 


Fig.  11.     Side  Stroke  in  Action 


stroke  of  the  right,  or  under  arm,  and  of  the 
legs  should  be  alternating. 

Breast  Stroke 
There  is  perhaps  more  criticism  today  of 
the  breast  stroke  than  of  any  other;  yet  I 
believe  it  has  a  definite  place  in  life  saving. 
It  is  the  only  stroke  that  a  rescuer  can  use 
when  close  to  a  struggling  person,  and  be 
prepared  at  all  times  for  an  emergency.  He 
can  plainly  see  any  movement  of  the  drown- 
ing person  and  can  easily  keep  away  from  him 
by  using  this  stroke,  until  the  moment  when 
he  decides   to   dash   in  and   "get  his  hold" 


24 


LIFE  SAVING 


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SWIMMING  STROKES 


25 


26  LIFE  SAVING 

(Fig.  12).  The  reason  for  most  of  the  criti- 
cism of  this  stroke  lies  in  the  fact  that  so 
many  are  ignorant  of  its  technique  and  of 
the  ease  with  which  it  can  be  used  after  it  is 
mastered. 

The  pupil  should  lie  easily  on  the  breast 
on  the  surface  of  the  water.  It  will  be  found 
that  if  a  strong  push-off  is  given  from  a  side 
wall  or  float,  the  pupil  can  get  into  this 
position  with  the  arms  extended  beyond  the 
head.  The  first  stroke  is  made  with  the 
arms;  on  count  one,  the  hands  should  be 
turned  back  to  back  and  the  arms  drawn 
backward  through  the  water,  just  below  the 
surface  and  parallel  to  it  until  they  are  at 
right  angles  to  the  body  (Fig.  13).  On  count 
two,  the  elbows  are  bent  backward  and  the 
hands  are  brought  in  close  to  the  chest  with 
the  palms  down  and  the  thumbs  close  to- 
gether. At  the  same  time  the  legs,  which 
previously  were  extended  to  full  length,  are 
brought  up  as  far  as  possible  by  bending  the 
knees,  without  allowing  the  knees  to  come 
under  the  body  (Fig.  14).  In  this  motion  it 
adds  force  to  keep  I  lie  soles  of  the  feet 
together.  On  count  three,  the  arms  are 
pushed  forward  through  the  water,  nearly  to 


SWIMMING  STROKES 


27 


full  length  and  with  palms  down.  At  the 
same  time  the  legs  are  kicked  outward 
(Fig.  15),  backward,  and  together,  making  an 
arc,  and  it  is  this  sharp  snap  together  that 
gives  the  powerful  "frog  kick." 

It  is  absolutely  essential,  if  this  stroke  is 
to  be  executed  correctly,  for  the  pupil  to 
pause  a  full  count  after  executing  this  last 
movement,  allowing  the  body  to  glide  through 
the  water  as  a  result  of  the  kick  (Fig.  1G). 
The  frog  kick  is  often  incorrectly  performed 


Fig.  10.     Breast  Stroke  in  Action 


by  the  pupil  who  endeavors  to  put  force  into 
a  back  kick  of  the  legs.  More  power  can  be 
put  into  the  squeeze  together  of  the  legs, 
after  their  spread.  This  acts  as  a  vise  and, 
as   something   must  give,    the   body   is   shot 


28  LIFE  SAYING 

forward  at  quite  a  rapid  speed.  This  is  made 
possible  because  the  powerful  thigh  muscles 
are  the  ones  that  are  used  the  most. 

Back  Stroke 
The  back  stroke  is  in  some  ways  the  most 
essential  to  the  person  who  is  studying  life 
saving,  as  it  is  used  in  three  of  the  methods 
of  rescue.  In  all  three  methods,  however,  the 
struggling  person  is  supported  by  the  hands 
of  the  rescuer,  who  therefore  has  to  get  all 
his  propelling  force  from  the  use  of  his  legs. 
The  kick  is  performed  exactly  the  same  on 
the  back  as  the  frog  kick  is  on  the  breast. 
The  legs  are  first  in  an  extended  position, 
with  the  pupil  lying  on  the  back  and  holding 
his  body  in  place  by  grasping  the  life  rail,  or 
side  of  float,  behind  the  head  (Fig.  17).  On 
the  first  count  the  legs  are  drawn  up  with 
the  soles  of  the  feet  together  and  the  knees 
spread  wide  apart  (Fig.  18).  They  should  be 
drawn  up  easily  and  slowly.  On  the  second 
count  the  legs  are  kicked  outward,  backward, 
and  together,  making  an  arc,  and  all  the 
force  possible  is  put  into  the  squeeze  to- 
gether (Fig.  19).  Usually  the  legs  are 
brought  up  too  far. 


SWIMMING  STROKES 


29 


30 


LIFE  SAVING 


SWIMMING  STROKES  31 

In  both  this  stroke  and  the  frog  kick  on 
the  breast  the  determining  point  should  be 
found  as  follows:  lie  en  the  breast  on  the 
floor  or  ground  and  bring  the  legs  up  with 
feet  together  as  far  as  possible,  keeping  the 
feet  on  the  floor.  It  is  impossible  to  get  the 
knees  under  the  body  in  this  movement  and 
it  shows  exactly  how  far  the  knees  should  be 
drawn  up  in  the  kick  of  both  breast  and  back 
strokes.  The  arms  can  be  ignored  in  this 
stroke.  It  is  a  good  plan,  after  the  pupil  is 
able  to  swim  by  the  use  of  the  legs  alone,  to 
put  the  hands  up  out  of  the  water  while 
swimming  on  the  back.  This  is  difficult,  as 
the  hands,  when  deprived  of  the  buoyancy 
of  the  water,  usually  sink  the  bodv  a  foot  or 
more  under  water.  This  enables  a  pupil  to 
be  more  proficient  when  he  starts  practice  on 
rescuing  a  person  who  must  be  held  up  in 
the  water  as  well  as  towed  (Fig.  20). 


Ill 

A  TYPICAL  RESCUE 

Going  to  the  Rescue 

The  first  essential  to  remember  in  rescuing 
a  person  struggling  in  the  water  in  danger  of 
drowning  is  to  lose  no  time  in  going  to  his 
aid.  He  may  sink  and  not  rise  again,  in 
which  case  it  may  be  very  difficult  for  the 
rescuer  to  find  the  object  of  his  search. 
All  hough  speed  in  reaching  the  unfortunate 
person  is  the  first  essential,  care  should  be 
taken,  if  any  distance  has  to  be  covered,  not 
to  become  tired  by  too  fast  swimming.  Es- 
pecially is  this  true  if  the  person  in  danger 
has  an  upturned  boat,  or  oilier  buoyant  aid, 
to  help  him  in  keeping  afloat.  In  this  case  it 
would  be  foolhardy  to  swim  at  top  speed 
and  then  be  exhausted  when  the  lime  comes 
for  the  hard  work  of  earing  for  the  victim. 

What  Clothing  to  Remove  and  How 

1 1    is   a    matter   of   judgment   whether   the 

32 


A  TYPICAL  RESCUE  33 

rescuer,  before  entering  the  water,  should  re- 
move a  portion  of  his  clothing.  Some  writers 
deem  it  a  waste  of  time,  but  it  seems  evident 
that  if,  while  running  to  the  water's  edge,  a 
man  can  divest  himself  of  coat,  trousers,  and 
shoes,  he  is  in  a  much  better  condition  for  the 
work  facing  him.  In  the  case  of  a  person 
falling  from  a  swiftly  moving  steamer,  the 
resener,  in  order  to  be  close  to  the  victim, 
would  save  time  by  jumping  immediately 
and  removing  his  clothes  while  in  the  water. 
In  no  event  should  a  man  remove  only 
his  coat,  if  he  has  no  vest  on  and  wears  sus- 
penders. The  latter  will  cause  trouble  by 
sliding  off  and  allowing  the  trousers  to  slide 
part  way  down,  perhaps  just  when  the 
rescuer  needs  absolute  freedom  of  movement. 
It  is  necessary  to  use  cool,  quick  judgment  in 
this  matter  as  a  moment's  delay  may  mean 
the  loss  of  a  human  life. 

Method  of  Entering  the  Water 

If  entering  the  water  from  a  beach,  do  not 
wade  out  farther  than  knee  deep;  then  make 
a  long  dive  and  swim  with  the  double  over- 
arm stroke.  This  enables  you  to  keep 
glancing  at  the  drowning  person  without  re- 


34  LIFE  SAVING 

tarding  your  speed  very  much.  Before  diving 
take  a  full  inhalation  of  fresh  air  and  avoid 
staying  under  the  water  for  a  long  period,  as 
it  exhausts  one.  Also  by  so  doing  you  lose 
sight  of  the  victim.  Where  weeds  abound, 
and  there  is  danger  of  entanglement,  progress 
should  be  made  very  slowly,  in  the  direction 
of  the  stream.  Great  care  should  be  taken 
that  weeds  or  eel-grass  do  not  wind  around 
the  would-be-rescuer,  making  it  difficult  for 
him  even  to  help  himself.  If  the  rescuer  has  to 
enter  the  water  from  a  great  height,  as  from  a 
bridge  or  vessel,  and  is  unaware  of  the  depth 
or  nature  of  the  water,  it  is  best  to  drop  in 
feet  first. 

Method  of  Approach 

When  nearing  a  drowning  person  the  res- 
cuer should  proceed  with  caution,  preferably 
using  the  breast  stroke;  and  if  there  are  two 
or  more  persons  in  danger,  single  out  the  one 
in  the  greater  distress  (Fig.  21).  In  some 
cases,  talking  in  a  firm,  quiel  manner  to  the 
struggling  person  is  helpful,  and  makes  the 
rescue  less  dangerous.  There  is  always  an 
element  of  risk  from  the  clutch  of  a  drowning 
person,  although  this  is  diminished  when  the 


A  TYPICAL  RESCUE  35 

rescuer  has  been  properly  instructed  as  to 
how  to  effect  a  release.  The  first  essential  is 
always  to  get  behind  the  victim,  as  he  will 


Fig.  21.     Approaching  a  Drowning  Person 

be  less  dangerous  in  this  position.  Some 
writers  state  that  it  is  madness  to  approach 
a  drowning  person  from  the  front.  With 
many  it  might  lead  to  disaster,  but  with  a 
swimmer  who  knows  the  right  way  to  deal 
with  the  struggling  person,  the  danger  is 
minimized.  If  it  is  at  all  possible  to  approach 
him  from  the  rear,  do  so  by  all  means.  Fre- 
quently, diving  and  swimming  under  water 
beyond  the  person  accomplishes  this,  but  do 
not  keep  away  from  the  front  until  it  is  too 
late;  at  least,  know  what  to  do  in  case  it  is 
inevitable.  If  a  person  in  distress  is  ap- 
proached from  the  front  and  grasped  firmly 
when  being  turned  on  his  back,  he  will  prob- 


36  LIFE  SAVING 

ably  cease  struggling  and  submit  quietly  when 
he  feels  himself  supported  and  able  to  breathe 
freely. 

Grappling  with  the  Victim 

Through  some  mistake  the  rescuer  may 
find  himself  seized  by  the  drowning  person, 
who  will  probably  not  let  go  until  forced  to 
do  so.  If  this  should  happen,  there  must  be 
no  hesitation  or  scruple  in  using  any  means 
necessary  to  obtain  release.  If  a  swimmer 
has  sufficient  knowledge  of  the  methods  of 
release,  there  are  very  few  cases  where  it  is 
ever  necessary  to  do  anything  else.  The 
antique  method — and  the  prevalent  thought 
with  many — is  to  strike  the  victim  in  order 
to  get  free.  This  is  dangerous,  for  when  the 
person  is  rendered  unconscious  he  will  sink 
immediately  to  the  bottom.  Moreover,  if  he 
receives  the  blow  while  he  is  being  towed  to 
shore,  it  is  hard  to  define  how  much  of  the 
existing  condition  is  due  to  drowning  and 
how  much  to  the  blow. 

One  accessary  point  for  the  rescuer  to  re- 
member is  to  take  advantage  of  his  knowledge 
of  the  water  and  keep  uppermost.  This  will 
aid  him  greatly,  as  it  will  weaken  the  drown- 


A  TYPICAL  RESCUE 


37 


ing  person  and  make  the  task  of  getting  free 
much  easier  (Fig.  22).  The  best  method  of 
approach  from  the  front  is  to  swim  on  the 


rmm 


Fig.  22.     Getting  Behind  a  Dhowning  Person 

breast,  suddenly  reach  out  with  the  right  hand, 
and  grasping  the  victim's  right  wrist,  pull 
him  around  immediately  on  his  back  into  a 
towing  position. 


Towing  to  Shore 

When  the  rescuer  manages  to  get  behind 

the  victim  he  should  tow  him  to  the  nearesl 

point  of  safety,  unless  that  point  is  directly 

against  a  head  tide,  in  which  case  he  should 


38  LIFE  SAYING 

try  to  take  it  on  the  quarter.  One  of  the 
methods  of  rescue  described  in  Chapter  V 
will  be  found  to  be  the  easiest  and  safest 
way  of  towing  to  shore. 


A  TYPICAL  RESCUE 


39 


IV 
METHODS  OF  RELEASE 

If  a  drowning  person  catches  hold  of  you 
in  his  struggles,  remember  the  first  essential 
is  to  keep  cool  and  collected  yourself.  The 
knowledge  of  the  various  methods  of  release 
is  worthless  without  this  confidence.  Then 
work  easily  and  quickly  for  your  "break." 

1.  When  Held  by  the  Wrists 

When  the  rescuer  is  held  by  the  wrists 
(Fig.  23)  by  an  ordinary  grasp,  he  should 
raise  his  arms  forward  and  upward,  then 
snap  the  arms  simultaneously  downward  and 
outward  with  a  sharp  jerk  (Fig.  24).  This 
will  make  the  leverage  come  against  the 
drowning  man's  thumbs  which  will  break  or 
be  dislocated  if  he  fails  to  let  go  (Fig.  25). 

If  the  rescuer  has  his  hands  low  in  front  of 

him,  and  is  I  hen  grasped  by   I  lie  wrists,  he 

should  reverse  this  movement  and  throw  his 

arms  upward  and  outward. 

40 


METHODS  OF  RELEASE 


41 


Break  for  Wrist  Hold  in  Action 


2.  When  Clutched  Around  the  Neck 
from  the  Front 

If  grasped  around  the  neck  from  the  front 
(Fig.  26),  the  rescuer  should  lean  well  over 
the  drowning  person,  and  at  the  same  time 
place  the  left  hand  in  the  small  of  the  vic- 
tim's back  and  the  heel  of  the  right  hand 
(coming  up  outside  of  the  victim's  arm)  on 
the  point  of  the  jaw  with  index  and  middle 
fingers  squeezing  the  nostrils.  Then  with  all 
possible  force  push  away  with  the  right  hand 
and  pull  in  or  hold  tight  with  the  left  hand 
(Fig.  27).  This  will  force  the  victim's  head 
under  water  and  the  holding  of  the  nose  will 
make  him  open  his  mouth  for  breathing.  As 
he  is  under  water  choking  will  ensue.     All 


42 


LIFE  SAVING 


METHODS  OF  RELEASE  43 

this   will   tend   to   loosen   his  hold   and   will 
enable  the  rescuer  to  gain  complete  control 

(Fig.  28). 


Fig.  28.     Break  for  Neck  Hold  in  Action 


3.  When  Clutched  Around  the  Body 
and  the  Arms 

When  gripped  in  this  manner  the  rescuer 
must  lean  well  over  the  drowning  person, 
take  a  deep  breath,  and  either  withdraw 
both  arms  in  an  upward  direction  in  front 
of  his  body,  or  try  to  slide  downward  until 
he  is  in  a  position  to  adopt  the  method  for 
release  when  held  around  the  neck  from  the 
front  (Fig.  29).  In  either  case  the  rescuer 
should  place  his  left  hand  on  the  victim's 
right  shoulder  and  the  heel  of  the  right  hand 


44 


LIFE  SAVING 


o 


METHODS  OF  RELEASE  45 

against  the  victim's  chin,  at  the  same  time 
bringing  up  his  right  knee  against  the  pit  of 
the  victim's  stomach  (Fig.  30).  Then,  by 
means  of  a  strong,  sudden  push,  stretch  the 
arms    and    legs    straight    out,    throwing    the 


Fig.  31.     Break  for  Hold  Around  Body  and 
Arms — In  Action 

whole  weight  of  the  victim's  body  backward. 
This  sudden  movement  will  free  the  rescuer 
(Fig.  31). 

4.  Strangle  Hold 
This  is  the  most  dangerous  of  all  holds, 
and  occurs  when  the  struggling  person  gets 
hold  of  the  rescuer  around  the  neck  from 
behind  (Fig.  32).  To  break  this,  the  rescuer 
should   tread  water  so  that  both   heads  are 


46 


LIFE  SAVING 


TfJJ 

^->  iu 

?i 

H 
O 

« 


METHODS  OF  RELEASE  47 

above  the  surface,  grasp  the  victim  by  each 
wrist — left  with  left  and  right  with  right — 
and  then,  after  leaning  slightly  forward, 
throw  his  head  back  suddenly  and  with  force, 
so  that  he  will  strike  the  victim  on  the  nose 
with  the  back  of  his  head  and  stun  him 
(Fig.  33).  The  pain  from  the  blow  on  the 
nose  will  be  so  great  that  the  rescuer  can 
pull  the  victim's  arms  apart — as  he  has  hold 
of  him  by  the  wrists — and  turn  a  back  somer- 
sault which  will  drive  the  victim  under  the 
water.  If  the  victim's  arms  have  not  become 
loose,  reach  for  his  fingers,  and  bend  one  or 
two  of  them  back  until  the  pain  is  too  great 


Fig.  34.     Break  for  Strangle  Hold — In  Action 


to  be  endured  (Fig.  34).     Between  the  pain 
and  the  ducking  you  can  get  free. 


48 


LIFE  SAVING 


METHODS  OF  RELEASE 


49 


5.  Body  Hold  from  Rear,  with  Scissors 
Hold  on  the  Legs 

This  hold  occurs  when  the  drowning  per- 
son grasps  the  rescuer  around  the  body  from 
behind  and  then  obtains  a  scissors  hold  on 
his  legs  (Fig.  35).  The  victim  obtains  a  very 
strong  hold  in  this  way  and  one  that  is  very 
difficult  to  break.  The  rescuer  should  try  to 
get  his  lungs  full  of  air  so  that  he  can  remain 
under  the  water,  if  necessary,  while  breaking 
the  hold.  Turning,  he  should  place  one  hand 
over  the  victim's  face  and  nostrils  and  press 
tightly,  at  the  same  time  pushing  him  away; 
with  his  other  hand  he  should  grasp  one  or 
more  of  the  drowning  man's  fingers  which 


Fig.  37.     Break  for  Body  Hold  from  Rear  with 
Scissors  Hold  on  Legs — In  Action 


50  LIFE  SAVING 

are  in  front  of  his  abdomen,  and  bend  them 
back  until  the  grasp  is  weakened  or  loosened 
entirely,  enabling  him  then  to  wrench  the 
arms  apart  (Fig.  36).  When  the  pain  of  his 
bent  fingers  becomes  too  great  for  the  victim 
to  stand,  his  legs  will  also  become  loosened 
and  the  rescuer  can  kick  his  legs  free  (Fig.  37). 

6.  Scissors  Hold  on  the  Body 

This  occurs  more  frequently  than  No.  5, 
and  is  caused  by  the  struggling  man  trying 
to  climb  up  the  rescuer's  back  in  order  to  be 
nearer  the  surface  (Fig.  38).  The  rescuer 
should  try  to  get  to  the  surface,  even  if  in  a 
horizontal  position,  to  get  some  air.  Then 
he  is  able  to  continue  the  struggle  under 
water.  The  rescuer  should  take  the  ankle 
of  one  foot  in  the  left  hand  and  the  toes  and 
instep  of  the  same  foot  in  the  right  hand, 
and,  using  the  left  hand  as  a  vice,  should 
grind  the  foot  in  a  circular  motion  with  the 
right  hand  (Fig.  39).  The  pain  caused  is  so 
great  that,  the  victim  will  let  go  immediately 
(Fig.  40). 

Note:  It  should  always  l>c  rememjbered  that 
after  breaking  a  hold  the  reseller  should  never 
let  the  victim  get  away  from  him,  but  should 


METHODS  OF  RELEASE 


51 


5% 


LIFE  SAVING 


immediately  turn  him  into  a  towing  position. 
A  rescuer  should  realize  that  a  drowning  per- 


Fig.  -40.     Bh£ak  for  Scissors  Hold  on  Body — 
In  Action 

son  will  grasp  anything  that  comes  within 
reach,  his  whole  thought  being  to  get  his 
head  above  water.  There  are  combination 
holds  not  described  here  thai  the  drowning 
person  may  use,  but  these  given  are  con- 
sidered the  most  essential  ones,  and  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  them  will  enable  the 
rescuer  lo  control  conditions. 


METHODS  OF  RESCUE 

Conduct  of  the  Rescuer 

Rescuers  must  at  all  times  be  governed  by 
circumstances,  using  judgment  as  to  which 
method  to  adopt  in  conveying  the  drowning 
person  to  shore.  They  should  take  care  to 
avoid  wasting  their  strength  against  a  cur- 
rent or  tide;  rather  floating  with  it  and  grad- 
ually making  for  shore,  or  else  waiting  until 
a  boat  or  other  aid  arrives.  They  should 
remember  that  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance 
to  keep  the  face  of  the  drowning  person  above 
water,  even  though  their  own  should  become 
immersed.  All  jerking  or  tugging  should  be 
avoided,  and  they  should  swim  with  a  steady 
stroke  of  the  legs,  saving  all  their  strength  for 
the  work  confronting  them.  When  carrying 
a  struggling  person  on  the  surface  of  the 
water,  it  aids  greatly  to  keep  the  elbows  of 
the  victim  well  out  from  the  sides,  as  this 
expands    the    chest,    inflates    the    lungs,    and 

adds  buoyancy.     The  legs  should  be  kept  well 

53 


54  LIFE  SAVING 

up  to  the  surface,  the  body  being  almost  hori- 
zontal. Always  aim  to  keep  the  whole  body 
immersed,  except  the  face,  as  this  adds  to 
buoyancy.  There  are  various  methods  of  res- 
cue suggested  by  different  writers,  some  of 
which  are  relics  of  antiquity  and  easily  and 
wisely  supplanted  by  better  and  more  modern 
means.  Some  very  practical  methods  are  ad- 
vocated by  various  life  saving  organizations, 
and  those  who  are  ignorant  of  what  to  do  in 
cases  of  emergency  can,  in  the  course  of  ten 
or  twelve  lessons,  become  fairly  proficient  in 
their  use. 

1.  When  the  Victim  is  Passive 

An  easy  method  of  assisting  a  tired  swim- 
mer, or  one  who  has  been  attacked  by  cramps, 
as  well  as  any  other  who  will  remain  quiet,  is 
to  allow  the  person,  when  lying  on  his  back, 
to  place  his  hands  upon  the  rescuer's  shoul- 
ders, close  to  the  neck,  with  his  arms,  at  full 
length  (Fig.  41).  The  rescuer  being  upper- 
most, and  having  arms  and  legs  free,  swims 
the  breast  stroke  (Fig.  42). 

Note:  This  method  should  be  used  only 
when  the  person  is  absolutely  passive,  and 
capable  of  thinking  for  himself,    the  danger 


METHODS  OF  RESCUE 


Fig.  42.     In  Action 


LIFE  SAVING 


Fig.  43.     Rescue  When  Victim  is  Not  Struggling 


Fig.  44.    In  Action 


METHODS  OF  RESCUE  57 

lying  in  the  chance  of  a  quick  grasp  of  the 
rescuer's  throat  by  the  victim  if  he  loses 
control  of  himself. 


c2.  When  the  Victim  is  Not  Struggling 

When  the  drowning  person  is  not  strug- 
gling, turn  him  on  his  back  (by  methods 
described  in  Chapter  IV),  place  your  hands 
on  either  side  of  his  face,  so  that  the  palms  of 
the  hands  cover  his  ears  and  your  fingers 
point  to  the  top  of  his  head  (Fig.  4o).  Then 
lie  on  your  back  and  swim  toward  shore, 
using  the  frog  kick,  taking  care  to  keep  his 
face  above  water.  Lie  well  back  as  you  tow 
him,  so  that  both  bodies  are  in  nearly  a 
horizontal  position  (Fig.  44). 

3.  When  the  Victim  is  Struggling 
Moderately 
If  he  is  struggling,  the  drowning  person  is 
more  difficult  to  manage.  Turn  him  on  his 
back  as  before,  and  take  a  firm  hold  of  his 
arms  just  above  the  elbows,  letting  the  fingers 
sink  into  the  biceps  (Fig.  45).  Draw  his 
arms  upward  at  right  angles  to  his  body  and 
swim  on  the  back,  using  the  frog  kick.    Tin's 


58 


LIFE  SAVING 


Fiu.  45.     Rescue  When  Victim  is  Struggling 

Moderately 


Fig.  40.     In  Action 


METHODS  OF  RESCUE  59 


Fig.  47.     Rescue  When  Victim  is  Struggling 
Violently 


Fig.  48.     In  Action 


60  LIFE  SAVING 

will  enable  the  rescuer  to  have  complete  con- 
trol of  the  victim  (Fig.  46). 


4.  When  the  Victim  is  Struggling 
Violently 

If  the  arms  are  difficult  to  grasp,  or  the 
struggling  is  so  violent  as  to  prevent  a  firm 
hold,  slip  the  hands  under  the  armpits  of  the 
victim  and  place  them  on  his  chest  (Fig.  47). 
Then  lie  on  your  back  and  use  the  frog  kick 
as  before.  This  prevents  any  possibility  of 
the  victim's  turning  loose  and  grasping  the 
rescuer  (Fig.  48). 


5.  Foe  Side  Stroke  Swimmers 

Place  left  arm  under  the  left  arm  of  the 
person  being  rescued,  with  the  hand  crossing 
the  chest  to  the  oilier  armpit,  or  grasping  the 
clothes,  thus  leaving  I  ho  right  arm  free  with 
which  lo  propel  yourself  (Fig.  49).  This 
method  is  very  useful  lo  side  stroke  swimmers, 
as  rescuers  can  use  either  the  scissors  or  the 
frog  kick,  as  well  as  have  the  use  of  one  arm 
(Fig.  5();. 


METHODS  OF  RESCUE  61 


Fig.  49.     Rescle  for  Side  Stroke  Swimmers 


Fig.  50.     In  Action 


m  LIFE  SAVING 

6.  When  Long  Distance  Has  to  Be 
Covered 

In  case  of  having  to  cover  a  great  distance 
with  a  person  who  is  passive  and  quiet,  or 
with  one  who  can  easily  be  controlled,  a 
simple  and  effective  method  is  to  swim  the 
side  stroke  (Fig.  51).  The  person  assisted 
should  be  behind  the  rescuer  with  one  hand 
on  his  upper  shoulder.  It  will  be  found  in 
many  cases  that  a  person  who  knows  nothing 
of  swimming  will  feel  so  free  when  being 
rescued  in  this  maimer  that  he  will  aid  a 
little— by  using  his  free  hand  and  his  legs 
(Fig.  52).  It  is  obvious  that  this  aid  is  very 
material  if  a  long  distance  has  to  be  covered. 

Recovering  the  Victim  from  a 
Capsized  Boat 
If  you  see  a  pleasure  boat  that  has  been 
upset,  the  following  methods  of  rescue  should 
be  adopted.  Swim  at  once  to  the  boat.  Do 
not  seize  one  person  and  swim  to  shore  with 
him,  but  get  all  the  party  to  the  side  of  the 
overturned  boat  and  make  them  hold  fast  to 
it.  If  one  of  the  number  has  gone  down,  tell 
those  remaining  to  hang  on  to  the  boat  and 


METHODS-OR  RESCUE  G3 


Fig.  51.     Rescue  fob  Long  Distance 


Fig.  52.     In  Action 


64  LIFE  SAVING 

then  dive  for  the  one  that  has  sunk.  When 
you  bring  that  person  up,  swim  to  the  boat, 
and  hang  on  for  a  time,  quietly  encouraging 
the  others.  If  no  one  is  near  to  come  to  your 
assistance  with  a  boat,  turn  the  unconscious 
person  on  his  back  and  tow  him  ashore  by 
No.  2  or  No.  5  of  the  methods  of  rescue. 

When  you  get  ashore,  give  hurried  instruc- 
tions in  resuscitation,  if  there  is  anyone 
present  to  perform  it,  and  then  hurry  back 
to  the  boat  as  quickly  as  possible,  as  the 
remaining  victims  may  become  chilled  or 
lose  heart.  When  you  get  to  them,  take  the 
painter  of  the  boat  and  swim  ashore,  towing 
both  boat  and  victims.  This  is  not  as  hard 
as  it  may  seem,  and  it  is  the  safest  method. 
If  the  boat  is  a  large  one  it  may,  however,  be 
easier  to  use  anything  that  may  be  floating 
near  you,  as  an  oar  or  plank.  Do  not  allow 
the  victims  to  attempt  to  swim  to  shore 
unless  you  are  positive  that  they  can  do  it, 
as  distance  on  the  water  is  always  deceptive. 

Recovering  a  Body  from  the  Bottom 

The  specific  gravity  of  I  lie  human  body  in 
its  natural  condition  is  about  equal  to  that 
of  fresh  water.     The  bodies  of  unusually  fleshy 


METHODS  OF  RESCUE  65 

persons,  and  of  women,  generally  are  lighter 
than  the  amount  of  water  that  they  displace. 
The  belief  that  a  drowning  person  rises  three 
times  before  he  finally  sinks  is  a  fallacy. 
The  question  whether  he  rises  at  all,  or  how 
often  he  does  so,  depends  entirely  upon  cir- 
cumstances. After  a  person  has  sunk  to  the 
bottom,  if  the  water  is  quiet,  the  exact 
position  where  the  body  lies  may  be  known  by 
the  air-bubbles  which  will  occasionally  rise  to 
the  surface.  In  still  water  the  bubbles  rise 
perpendicularly,  in  running  water  they  rise 
obliquely,  so  that  the  rescuer  must  look  for  his 
object  higher  up  stream  than  where  the  bub- 
bles appear.  In  running  water  the  body  will 
be  carried  along,  and  should  be  looked  for  in 
a  straight  line  in  the  direction  that  the  cur- 
rent is  running.  On  reaching  the  drowning 
person  who  has  sunk  to  the  bottom,  the  res- 
cuer, after  grasping  the  body,  should  place 
one  foot  on  the  bottom  and  then  give  a 
vigorous  push  upward,  which  will  cause  both 
persons  to  rise  easily  to  the  surface. 

The  body  after  death  remains  at  the  bot- 
tom, until  by  some  means  its  specific  gravity 
— that  was  increased  by  swallowing  water,  etc. 
— becomes  less  than  that  of  the  bulk  of  water 


66  LIFE  SAVING 

it  displaces.  This  is  brought  about  by  de- 
composition, causing  a  generation  of  gases 
which  distends  all  the  cellular  tissues,  giving 
the  puffed  appearance  which  is  so  horrible. 
The  decomposition  is  modified  by  various  cir- 
cumstances, heat  or  cold,  condition  of  the 
water,  depth  of  water,  whether  stagnant  or 
moving,  and  the  condition  of  the  body  before 
death.  Thus  it  is  evident  that  no  period  can 
be  assigned  definitely  as  to  when  the  bodv 
will  rise.  All  these  various  elements  in  the 
problem,  therefore,  have  to  be  considered 
when  striving  to  recover  a  body  that  has 
just  sunk,  or  one  that  has  been  under  water 
a  longer  time.  In  the  use  of  grappling  irons, 
a  long  bar,  with  several  small  hooks  fastened 
to  it,  is  considered  the  best  type. 


VI 
RESUSCITATION 

Actual  Cause  of  Death 

The  actual  cause  of  death  from  drowning 
is  the  stoppage  of  the  supply  of  pure  air  to 
the  lungs.  The  oxygen  is  gradually  dimin- 
ished, while  the  quantity  of  carbon  dioxide 
is  increased,  until  the  air  in  the  lungs  becomes 
very  impure;  the  blood  passing  into  the  heart 
is  not  properly  purified;  consequently,  venous 
instead  of  arterial  blood  is  circulated  through 
the  body.  In  a  short  time  the  person  loses 
consciousness,  the  face  becomes  dark  and  con- 
gested because  the  veins  are  gorged  with 
blood,  and  the  heart  ceases  to  beat. 

Preliminaries  Before  Beginning  Work 
of  Resfscttation 

The  first  essential  is  to  get  the  person  out 

of  the  water,  and  not  a  moment  should  be 

lost  before  commencing  artificial  respiration. 

In  carrying  the  victim  to  shore  do  not  have 

67 


68 


LIFE  SAVING 


his  face  downward,  nor  his  feet  higher  than 
his  head.  Loosen  the  clothing  around  the 
neck  and  chest.  See  that  the  throat  and 
mouth  are  clear  of  any  mucus,  sea-weed,  or 
other  material,  so  that  the  air  may  pass  in 
and  out  freely;  then  lay  the  body  face  down. 
The  rescuer  should  then  stand  astride  the 
victim's  body  and,  leaning  forward,  should 


FlG.  53.     Shaking   Water  Out  of  an  APPARENTLY 
Drowned  Person      ~^>J&  luj^. 

grasp  him  with  both  hands  under  the  waist. 
He  should  then  straighten  up,  thereby  lifting 
the  center  of  the  body  from  the  ground,  the 


RESUSCITATION  69 

arms  and  legs  remaining  on  the  ground.  In 
this  position  a  slight  shaking  will  force  the 
water  from  the  lungs,  stomach,  and  throat 
(Fig.  53).  After  a  moment  of  this  shaking, 
lay  the  body  on  the  ground  in  position  for 
performing  artificial  respiration.  Always 
work  where  there  is  plenty  of  fresh  air,  and 
if  there  is  a  crowd  of  spectators  be  sure  to 
keep  them  well  back  from  the  victim. 

Schafer  Method 

In  1903  Prof.  E.  A.  Schafer  perfected  his 
method,  which  is  recognized  today  as  the 
safest,  the  most  efficient,  and  the  least  com- 
plicated of  all  resuscitation  methods.  It  can 
easily  be  performed  by  one  operator  for  a 
long  period  of  time.  To  employ  this  method, 
the  victim  should  be  laid  face  downward  with 
the  head  turned  to  one  side  and  the  mouth 
opened.  The  upper  arms  should  be  put  in  a 
position  at  right  angles  to  the  body.  The 
operator  should  kneel  astride  or  on  one  side 
of  the  victim's  body.  He  should  place  his 
hands  flat  in  the  small  of  the  victim's  back, 
on  -each  side  of  the  spine  with  the  thumbs 
nearly  touching,  parallel  to  the  spine  and 
pointing  toward  the  head,  and  with  the  fingers 


70 


LIFE  SAVING 


Fig.  54.     Schafer  Method  of  Resuscitatk 
Count  One 


Fig.  55.     Count  Two 


RESUSCITATION  71 

spread  out  on  each  side  of  the  body  over  the 
lowest  ribs.  He  should  lean  forward,  and, 
keeping  the  arms  straight,  steadily  allow  the 
weight  of  the  body  to  fall  upon  them  and  so 
produce  a  firm  downward  pressure,  which 
must  not  be  violent,  the  object  being  to  press 
downward  toward  the  ground,  in  order  to 
decrease  the  size  of  the  chest  cavity  (Fig. 
54).  By  this  means  the  air  is  driven  out  of 
the  victim's  lungs.  Then  the  operator  should 
immediately  swing  backward,  releasing  the 
pressure  rapidly,  but  without  lifting  the 
hands  from  the  victim's  body,  thus  allowing 
the  ribs  to  spring  back  and  increase  the  size 
of  the  chest  cavity  (Fig.  55).  This  pressure 
and  relaxation  is  repeated  by  the  operator 
as  he  swings  his  body  forward  and  back- 
ward, twelve  to  fifteen  times  a  minute,  with- 
out any  pauses. 

Note:  The  very  simplicity  of  this  method 
is  its  greatest  weakness.  The  fact  that  all 
men  are  human  and  that  after  a  few  hours' 
work  at  any  method  even  the  strongest  will 
tire,  makes  it  evident  that  a  person  could  go 
through  the  motions  described  without  put- 
ting much  weight  from  the  body  on  the  arms; 
certainly  not  enough  to  drive  all  the  air  out 


72  LIFE  SAVING 

of  the  lungs.  It  has  been  found  that  the  best 
way  to  offset  this  is  to  apply  sudden  pressure 
at  the  end  of  the  firm  and  steady  pressure, 
thus  forcing  the  air  out  of  the  lungs.  This 
should  not  be  severe  enough  to  injure,  but 
it  is  necessary  if  you  desire  to  free  the  lungs 
of  all  air.  If  this  thought  is  always  in  the 
operator's  mind,  he  seldom  will  neglect  it 
and  will  be  enabled  to  work  efficiently  for 
hours  if  necessary. 

Pulmotor 
The  pulmotor  is  a  recent  invention  that 
has  accomplished  wonderful  results.  It  is  an 
oxygen-fed  machine  primarily  intended  to  in- 
duce respiration  by  artificial  means  in  persons 
apparently  drowned,  etc.,  where  breathing 
has  stopped,  but  where  there  is  still  vitality. 
The  apparatus  inflates  and  deflates  I  lie  lungs 
in  a  rhythmic  manner,  and  the  pulsations  of 
the  mechanism  are  so  limed  thai  I  lie  normal 
number  of  respirations  per  minute  is  ob- 
tained, lis  motive  power  is  an  oxygen 
cylinder  containing  this  gas  under  a  pressure 
of  one  hundred  and  (illy  atmospheres,  which 
will  supply  a  sixty  per  cent  mixture  of  air 
and  oxygen   to   the  victim  every   forty  min- 


RESUSCITATION 


73 


utes.  When  necessary  this  cylinder  can  be 
replaced  with  a  new  one  in  a  few  seconds 
(Fig.  56).  The  pulmotor  has  a  decided  ad- 
vantage over  artificial  respiration  by  hand, 
in  that  it  forces  a  larger  amount  of  oxygenated 
air  into  the  lungs  than  is  possible  by  the  or- 
dinary methods.     It  can  also  keep  it  up  for 


Fig.  56.     Pulmotor 

longer  periods  of  time.  It  is  so  adjusted  thai 
it  will  force  air  into  the  lungs  until  it  reaches 
a  pressure  of  three  pounds,  the  same  as 
forced  breathing  in  a  healthy  conscious  man; 
when  the  three  pounds  pressure  is  reached, 


74  LIFE  SAVING 

the  apparatus  reverses  mechanically  until  it 
obtains  a  negative  pressure  of  three  pounds, 
so  that  all  the  deoxidized  air  is  thrown  out, 
leaving  the  lungs  empty  and  ready  for 
another  supply.  The  pulmotor  weighs  only 
about  fifty  pounds  in  its  case,  and  it  is  there- 
fore easily  transportable.  A  great  many 
cities  are  keeping  one  of  these  machines  in 
an  easily  accessible  place,  and  this  number 
will  grow  as  the  value  of  the  instrument  is 
more  widely  recognized.1 

Importance  of  Not  Giving  Up 
The  significance  of  not  giving  up  after  a 
few  minutes'  work  over  an  apparently 
drowned  person  will  hardly  be  felt  until  one 
has  had  the  wonderful  opportunity  of  work- 
ing on  a  person  for  hours  and  finally  of 
bringing  him  Lo  consciousness.  If  there  is 
any  word  or  group  of  words  that  should  be 
remembered  above  all  others  by  those  who 
are    striving    to    resuscitate    an    apparently 


'Publishers'  Note:  Another  artificial  breathing  apparatus,  known  as 
the  Lungmotor,  has  recently  been  perfected.  The  manufacturers 
claim  that  it  overcomes  several  objections  to  other  similar  devices. 
There  is  some  question  whether  any  of  the  present  mechanical  instru- 
ments are  as  effective  in  cases  of  drowning  as  is  the  Schafer  method  of 
resuscitation.  For  use  after  gas  asphyxiation  or  electric  shock  both 
of  the  foregoing  machine;    liave  a  good  rceord. 


RESUSCITATION  75 

drowned  person,  it  should  be — Do  Not  Stop. 
Life,  in  a  large  number  of  cases,  has  been 
restored  only  after  long  hours  of  unceasing 
effort  on  the  part  of  the  operator.  There  is, 
of  course,  a  point  where  all  efforts  are  un- 
availing, after  the  body  has  been  in  the 
water  too  long,  but  to  make  sure  of  all  pos- 
sible chances,  one  should  work  on  a  person 
who  has  been  in  the  water  less  than  half  an 
hour,  and  should  keep  it  up  until  the  coroner 
or  city  physician  tells  him  to  stop.  After  a 
person  has  been  under  water  for  more  than 
thirty  minutes,  there  is  very  little  chance  of 
reviving  him.  When  there  is  a  pulmotor  at 
hand,  of  course  more  efficient  work  is  accom- 
plished in  a  shorter  time  and  without  effort 
on  the  part  of  the  operator.  If  there  is  need 
of  sending  any  distance  for  the  pulmotor  the 
operator  should  do  so  and  then  commence 
work  immediately  by  hand. 

Procedure  After  Breathing  Has  Been 
Established 

While  the  operator  is  at  work  over  the 
victim,  others  may  apply  hot  flannels  to  the 
limbs  and  body  and  hot  bottles  to  the  fed, 
or  promote  warmth  by  massage  toward   the 


76  LIFE  SAYING 

heart.  Nothing  should  be  given  in  the  way 
of  restoratives  by  the  mouth,  nor  should 
you  try  to  remove  wet  clothing  until  natural 
breathing  has  been  fully  restored.  As  soon 
as  possible  after  breathing  has  been  estab- 
lished, remove  the  patient  to  the  nearest 
house  (if  the  accident  has  taken  place  at  a 
beach)  and  promote  further  warmth  by  hot 
applications  to  the  pit  of  the  stomach,  arm- 
pits, thighs,  soles  of  feet,  etc.  Care  must  be 
taken  not  to  burn  the  patient.  If  there  is 
pain  or  difficulty  in  breathing,  apply  a  hot 
linseed-meal  poultice  to  the  chest.  Watch  the 
patient  carefully  to  see  that  breathing  does 
not  stop. 

Appearances  Indicating  Death 
Some  of  the  best  indices  of  death  are:  No 
breathing  or  heart  action,  eyelids  closed,  the 
pupils  dilated,  the  jaws  clenched,  the  ringers 
contracted,  the  tongue  between  the  teeth, 
the  mouth  and  nostrils  covered  with  froth,  the 
skin  showing  "goose-flesh,"  and  the  body 
swollen  and  discolored.  The  tests  for  death 
are:  Holding  a  mirror  to  the  mouth  and 
noticing  whether  any  vapor  is  produced  on 
the  glass  by  the  breath  of  the  victim;  sticking 


RESUSCITATION  77 

a  pin  into  the  flesh  and  noticing  whether  or 
not  the  hole  remains.  If  the  hole  remains, 
life  is  probably  extinct.  These  are  both  sup- 
plementary to  the  final  test,  which  is  judging 
whether  or  not  rigor  mortis  has  set  in;  if  the 
latter  has  occurred,  one  may  be  certain  that 
all  chance  of  resuscitation  has  passed,  as  life 
is  extinct. 


VII 

METHOD  OF  DRILLING  MASS 

CLASSES  IN  LIFE  SAVING 

How  to  Form  Classes 

In  all  probability  the  simplest  matter  in 
relation  to  life  saving  is  the  getting  together 
of  a  group  of  people  who  are  desirous  of  ac- 
quiring this  art.  In  almost  all  cases  where 
it  is  suggested  that  a  class  be  started,  the 
instructor  will  have  sufficient  applications  to 
warrant  going  ahead.  The  first  and  really 
onlv  essential  that  should  be  strictly  adhered 
to  is  that  no  applicant  for  the  class  should  be 
received  who  does  uot  already  possess  ad- 
vanced knowledge  of  swimming.  The  class 
should  not  be  held  back  by  one  or  more  per- 
sons who  are  just  learning  to  be  at  ease  in  the 
water.  It  is  always  well  to  impress  upon  the 
members  the  importance  of  perfect  attend- 
ance throughout  a  course,  as  a  lesson  missed 
cannot  be  recovered  except  at  the  expense  of 

78 


DRILLING  MASS  CLASSES        70 

the  class.  While  classes  as  high  as  a  hundred 
can  be  handled  at  one  time,  still  it  is  evident 
that  a  smaller  group  is  more  satisfactory. 
Unless  it  is  impossible,  the  classes  should 
have  members  who  are  alike  in  age,  sex,  etc. 
Neither  classes  made  up  of  middle-aged  men 
with  boys,  nor  mixed  classes,  work  very  effec- 
tively. 

Suggestions  to  Instructors 

After  a  class  has  been  formed,  it  is  usually 
of  very  great  aid  if  a  local  physician  can  be 
procured  to  give  the  class  a  lecture,  illustrated 
if  possible,  on  the  organs  of  circulation  and 
respiration.  The  first  and  most  important 
lesson  that  should  be  given  to  pupils  is  to 
drive  home  to  them  the  fact  that,  whenever 
there  is  need  of  rescuing  a  drowning  person, 
danger  is  always  present.  The  moment  a 
person  in  the  water  loses  control  of  himself, 
that  moment  is  the  one  when  the  rescuer 
must  remain  cool  and  collected.  If  that  is 
not  made  plain  all  else  will  fail,  as  a  knowl- 
edge of  what  to  do  is  useless  unless  a  person 
can  put  it  into  effect,  under  stress  of  great 
excitement.  There  should  be  strict  super- 
vision in  the  matter  of  laughter  and  fooling 


80  LIFE  SAVING 

among  the  pupils  while  engaged  in  practice. 
Nothing  will  spoil  a  class  more  quickly.  An 
instructor  will  find  that  he  must  insist  from 
the  start  that  this  be  eliminated.  There 
should  be  no  ducking  of  persons  who  are 
being  towed,  nor  any  of  the  "horse  play" 
that  is  usually  indulged  in  by  a  group  in  the 
water.  In  other  words  anything  that  dis- 
tracts the  attention  of  the  pupil  should  be 
severely  criticized.  If  it  is  possible  to  have 
one  or  more  assistants,  they  can  be  of  great 
aid  by  walking  among  the  pupils,  and  giving 
quiet  personal  attention  to  the  detail  of  the 
work.  Instructors  must  be  clear  and  concise 
in  their  commands,  which  should  be  loud 
enough  for  all  to  hear.  Care  should  always  be 
exercised  to  allow  sufficient  time  between  the 
command  and  the  execution  of  the  move- 
ment. 

Preliminary  Drill 
Even  among  good  swimmers  there  is  found 
a  lack  of  drive  iu  the  "frog  kick,"  and  it  is  of 
great  value  to  put  a  class  swimming  on  their 
backs,  with  the  anus  folded  across  the  chest 
or  held  out  of  the  water.  This  cannot  be 
practiced  too  often,  as  it  develops  the  mus- 


DRILLING  MASS  CLASSES        81 

cles  that  will  be  most  used  in  rescue  work. 
It  should  be  remembered  that  all  drills  on 
land  are  only  preparatory  to  practice  in  the 
water,  and  they  should  therefore  be  of  short 
duration  only.  For  all  members  who  have 
had  no  experience  in  mass  drills,  the  following 
commands  should  be  taught: 

Fall  In.  At  the  command  "Fall  In,"  the 
class  will  form  in  a  single  line  from  the  right 
flank,  according  to  size,  the  shortest  on  the 
right. 

Attention.  At  the  command  "Attention," 
each  man  takes  the  following  position:  "Heels 
on  the  same  line  and  as  near  each  other  as 
the  conformation  of  the  man  permits;  feet 
turned  out  equally  and  forming  with  each 
other  an  angle  of  about  forty-five  degrees; 
knees  straight  and  without  stiffness;  body 
erect  on  the  hips,  inclining  a  little  forward; 
shoulders  square  and  falling  equally;  arms 
and  hands  outward,  palms  toward  body, 
elbows  near  the  body;  head  erect  and  square 
to  the  front;  chin  slightly  drawn  in,  without 
restraint;  eyes  to  the  front." 

Right  Dress — Dress.  At  the  command 
"Dress,"  all  will  cast  their  heads  and  eyes  to 
the  right,  and  place  themselves  in  a  position 


82  LIFE  SAVING 

so  that  they  can  just  see  the  breast  of  the 
third  man  down  the  line.  The  shoulders 
should  not  be  deranged  by  this  movement. 
Close  in  until  the  space  of  three  inches  re- 
mains between  elbows  as  the  arms  hang 
naturally. 

Eyes — Front.  At  the  command  "Front," 
all  heads  and  eyes  will  turn  sharply  to  the 
front. 

Count  Off — Count.  All  counts  will  be  made 
in  twos  from  the  right  flank;  at  the  command 
"Count,"  the  first  man  on  the  right  calls 
"One,"  the  second  man  "Two,"  the  third 
"One,"  the  fourth  'Two,"  and  so  on  until 
the  entire  class  has  counted  off. 

Right  (or  Left)  Face — Face. 

About  Face — Face.  When  at  a  halt,  to  face 
to  the  right  or  left,  or  about  face  to  the  right 
or  left,  the  following  movement  will  be  exe- 
cuted. At  the  command  "Face,"  turn  to  the 
right  through  an  angle  of  90°  (or  180°)  on  the 
right  heel  and  the  ball  of  the  left  foot;  lift 
the  left  foot  and  place  it  beside  the  right. 
Face  to  the  left  in  the  opposite  manner.  To 
execute  about  face  to  the  left,  the  command 
"Left  About  Face — Face,"  is  given  and  is 
executed  just  the  reverse  from  an  about  face. 


DRILLING  MASS  CLASSES         83 

Twos  Right — March.  At  the  command 
"March,"  each  squad  of  twos  wheels  the 
amount  indicated  on  a  fixed  pivot,  turning 
strictly  in  place;  the  man  on  the  marching 
flank  maintains  the  full  step,  moving  on  the 
arc  of  a  circle  with  the  pivot  man  as  center, 
taking  two  steps.  Upon  completion  of  the 
command,  the  squads  will  come  to  a  halt. 
Twos  Left  is  executed  in  the  opposite  man- 
ner. 

From  the  Right  Extended — March.  At  the 
command  "March,"  number  one  of  the  front 
rank  standing  in  place  raises  his  left  arm  to 
"side  horizontal"  position.  The  remainder  of 
the  front  rank  raise  both  arms  and  "ease  off" 
to  the  left  by  taking  quick  side  steps,  until 
each  man's  fingers  just  miss  the  fingers  of  his 
right  and  left  hand  man.  The  rear  rank  form 
behind  their  respective  partners  by  side- 
stepping with  them,  but  without  raising  the 
arms.  Upon  completion  of  the  movement 
both  lines  will  come  to  alt  cut  ion. 

Right    (or  Left)    Oblique— March.     At  the 
command  "March,"  each  man  hall'  faces  to 
the  side  indicated  and  continues  in  the  new 
direction.      At    the    command     "Forward 
March,"  he  resumes  his  original  direction. 


84  LIFE  SAVING 

Steps.  The  regular  marching  step  is  thirty 
inches  long.  A  half  step  is  fifteen  inches  long. 
All  marching  should  be  at  full  step  unless 
otherwise  indicated. 

Break.  At  the  command  "Break,"  each 
man  will  immediately  release  whatever 
"hold"  he  has  and  come  to  attention. 

Halt.  At  the  command  "Halt,"  the  class 
will  cease  whatever  movement  they  are  exe- 
cuting and  come  to  attention. 

Close  Order  to  Right — March.  At  the  com- 
mand "March,"  the  man  at  the  right  side  of 
the  line  stands  fast  and  every  other  indi- 
vidual executes  the  command  "Sideways 
Right"  by  taking  half  steps  to  right  until 
the  line  is  closed  and  dressed. 

Break  Banks — March.  At  the  command 
"March,"  the  line  is  broken,  the  class  being 
dismissed. 

In  all  advanced  work  the  following  short 
form  of  command  will  be  given:  "Fall  In," 
"Attention,"  "Right  Dress,"  "Eyes— Front," 
"Count  Off  In  Twos  From  Right  Flank 
Count,"  "Twos  Right— March,"  "Halt," 
"Left  Face— Face,"  "From  The  Right  Extend 

March,"     "Front    Rank    About    Face  - 
Face." 


DRILLING  MASS  CLASSES         85 

Release  Drill  on  Land 

After  the  instructor  has  given  the  pre- 
liminary commands,  and  has  his  class  in  po- 
sition, he  will  proceed  as  follows: 

Release  drill  on  land — Rear  rank  to  act  as 
rescuers. 

First  Method 

One.  At  the  command  "One,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  raise  his  hands  in  front  of  his 
face,  having  elbows  bent  and  forearm  in  front 
of  him;  at  the  same  time  the  front  rank  man, 
with  his  palms  turned  inward,  grasps  him  by 
the  wrists. 

Tivo.  At  the  command  "Two,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  take  a  short  pace  to  the  rear 
with  the  left  foot,  and  extend  his  arms  for- 
ward and  upward,  the  front  rank  man  re- 
taining his  grasp. 

Three.  At  the  command  "Three,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  then  turn  his  arms  simul- 
taneously downward  (in  front  of  him)  and 
outward,  making  the  leverage  come  against 
the  thumbs  of  the  front  rank  man,  which  will 
break  the  hold.  At  the  completion  of  the 
movement  both  men  will  resume  their  or- 
iginal position. 


86  LIFE  SAVING 

Second  Method 

One.  At  the  command  "One,"  the  front 
rank  man  will  raise  his  arms  and  clasp  the 
rear  rank  man  around  the  neck. 

Two.  At  the  command  '"Two,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  place  his  left  hand  in  the  small 
of  the  back  of  the  front  rank  man. 

Three.  iit  the  command  "Three,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  swing  his  right  arm  outside  of 
the  left  arm  of  the  front  rank  man,  and  place 
the  heel  of  the  hand  on  the  point  of  his  chin 
with  the  index  and  middle  fingers  squeezing 
his  nose. 

Four.  At  the  command  "Four,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  push  away  with  the  right  hand 
and  pull  in  or  hold  tight  with  the  left  hand. 
As  soon  as  this  command  is  executed,  the  rear 
rank  man  will  release  his  hold  and  both  men 
will  come  to  attention. 

Third  Method 

One.  At  the  command  "One,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  lake  one  pace  to  the  front,  the 
front  rank  man  will  then  pass  his  hands 
around  the  rear  rank  man,  grasping  him 
around  the  body. 

Two.     At    the  command    "Two,"  the  rear 


DRILLING  MASS  CLASSES         87 

rank  man  will  place  his  left  hand  on  the  right 
shoulder  of  the  front  rank  man  and  swing  his 
right  arm  over  (or  under)  his  left  arm,  placing 
the  heel  of  the  hand  against  the  chin,  his 
index  and  middle  fingers  squeezing  the  nose. 

Three.  At  the  command  "Three,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  lift  his  right  knee  and  place  it 
as  high  as  possible  against  the  abdomen  of 
the  front  rank  man. 

Four.  At  the  command  "Four,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  lean  slightly  over  the  front 
rank  man  and  by  means  of  a  strong,  sudden 
push  against  his  chin  with  the  right  hand 
and  his  abdomen  with  the  right  knee,  cause 
the  front  rank  man  to  release  his  grip.  At 
the  execution  of  this  command  both  men  will 
come  to  attention. 

Fourth  Method 

One.  At  the  command  "One,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  execute  "Right  About  Face," 
and  the  front  rank  man  will  step  up  close 
behind  him. 

Two.  At  the  command  "Two,"  the  front 
rank  man  will  clasp  both  arms  around  the 
neck  of  the  rear  rank  man. 

Three.    At  the  command  "Three,"  the  rear 


88  LIFE  SAVING 

rank  man  will  lean  forward,  at  the  same  time 
grasping  the  left  hand  of  the  front  rank  man 
with  his  left  and  the  right  with  his  right. 

Four.  At  the  command  "Four,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  throw  his  head  back  so  that  it 
will  hit  the  nose  of  the  front  rank  man;  at 
the  same  time  the  rear  rank  man  will  wrench 
apart  the  arms  of  the  front  rank  man.  At 
the  execution  of  this  command  the  rear  rank 
man  will  about  face  and  both  men  come  to 
attention. 

This  command  should  be  executed  slowly  in 
order  not  to  injure  the  partner  while  at  practice. 

Fifth  Method 

One.  At  the  command  "One,"  each  man 
will  take  one  full  step  forward  to  the  right 
oblique,  this  bringing  the  men  shoulder  to 
shoulder. 

Two.  At  the  command  "Two,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  execute  right  face  and  the 
front  rank  man  will  left  face. 

Three.  At  the  command  'Three,"  both 
men  will  drop  to  the  ground,  lying  on  their 
right  sides. 

Four.  At  the  command  "Four,"  the  front 
rank  man  will  clasp  the  rear  rank  man  around 


DRILLING  MASS  CLASSES        89 

the  body  with  both  arms  and  around  the  legs 
with  both  his  legs. 

Five.  At  the  command  "Five,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  lean  back  and  place  his  left 
hand  over  the  front  rank  man's  face  and 
nostrils  and,  at  the  same  time,  with  his  right 
hand  grasp  one  or  more  of  the  fingers  of  the 
front  rank  man. 

Six.  At  the  command  "Six,"  the  rear  rank 
man  will  push  away  with  his  left  hand,  and 
with  his  right  hand  bend  back  the  fingers  of 
the  front  rank  man  until  the  grasp  of  the 
latter  is  loosened.  At  the  execution  of  this 
command  both  men  will  rise  and  come  to 
attention  at  their  original  position. 

Sixth  Method 

The  commands  "One,"  "Two,"  and 
"Three"  will  be  executed  as  in  the  "Fifth 
Method." 

At  the  command  "Four,"  the  rear  rank 
man  will  raise  his  body  slightly,  enabling  the 
front  rank  man  to  clasp  him  around  the  body 
with  his  legs. 

At  the  command  "Five,"  the  rear  rank 
man  will  grasp  the  ankle  of  one  foot  of  the 
front  rank  man  in  his  left  hand  and  the  toes 


90  LIFE  SAVING 

and  instep  of  the  same  foot  in  his  right  hand; 
then  using  his  left  hand  as  a  vice,  he  will 
twist  the  foot  in  a  circular  motion  with  his 
right  hand.  At  the  execution  of  this  com- 
mand both  men  will  rise  and  come  to  atten- 
tion at  their  original  position. 

Very  lit  fie  pressure  should  be  used  in  the  exe- 
cution of  command  "Fire"  during  practice,  as 
the  pain  produced  is  very  great. 

Note:  In  order  that  each  man  may  go 
through  the  drill,  the  command  "Change 
Ranks"  will  be  given,  at  which  time  the  front 
rank  becomes  the  rear  rank  and  vice  versa, 
and  the  drills  will  be  gone  through  in  the 
same  manner  as  before. 

Release  Drill  in  Water 

A  person  may  have  the  technique  of  the 
release  drill  on  land  almost  perfect,  and  yet 
be  unable  to  perform  it  in  the  water.  Actual 
practice  in  the  water  is  absolutely  necessary. 
After  the  instructor  has  given  the  preliminary 
commands,  "Fall  In,"  "Attention,"  "Rigid; 
Dress— Dress,"  "Eyes— Front,"  "Count  Oh" 
In  Twos  From  Right  Flank  Count,"  'Twos 
Right— March,"  "Halt,"  "Left  Face— Face," 
"From  The  Right  Extend — March,"  as  de- 


DRILLING  MASS  CLASSES        91 

scribed  in  the  land  drill,  he  will  proceed  as 
follows  : 

Release  drill  in  water — Rear  rank  to  act 
as  rescuers. 

First  Method 

Ready.  At  the  command  "Ready,"  the 
front  rank  will  step  to  the  edge  of  the  float 
or  pool  and  stand  prepared  to  plunge. 

Go.  At  the  command  "Go,"  the  front  rank 
will  plunge  into  the  water,  swim  a  distance 
of  at  least  thirty  feet,  "About  Face,"  and  by 
treading  water  remain  facing  the  starting 
point. 

Rescuers  —  Ready.  At  the  command 
"Ready,"  the  rear  rank  will  step  forward 
and  be  prepared  to  plunge. 

Go.  At  the  command  "Go,"  the  rear  rank 
as  rescuers  will  plunge  into  the  water,  and 
upon  reaching  the  front  rank  will  go  through 
the  drill  as  performed  on  land  without 
further  counts.  At  the  completion  of  the 
command  ordered,  both  ranks  will  swim  back 
to  the  starting  point  and  resume  their  orig- 
inal positions. 

Note:  After  each  method  has  been  prac- 
ticed, the  command  "Change  Rank"  will  be 


92  LIFE  SAVING 

given  and  the  drills  will  be  gone  through 
again  with  the  positions  changed,  thus  en- 
abling each  man  to  take  the  part  of  the 
rescuer.  After  the  last  method  has  been 
practiced,  the  class  will  be  dismissed  by  the 
commands  defined  in  the  land  drill. 

Rescue  Drill  on  Land 

After  the  instructor  has  given  the  pre- 
liminary commands,  "Fall  In,"  "Attention," 
"Right  Dress  —  Dress,"  "Eyes  --  Front," 
"Count  Off  In  Twos  From  Right  Flank- 
Count,"  "Twos  Right— March,"  "Halt," 
"Left  Face— Face,"  "From  The  Right  Ex- 
tend— March,"  he  will  proceed  as  follows: 

Rescue  drill  on  land — Rear  rank  to  act  as 
rescuers. 

First  Method 

One.  At  the  command  "One,"  the  front 
rank  man  will  "Right  About  Face." 

Two.  At  the  command  "Two,"  the  front 
rank  man  will  stretch  out  both  arms,  place 
the  hands  on  the  rear  rank  man's  shoulders 
close  to  the  neck,  and  lean  his  head  well 
back. 

Three.    At  the  command  "Three,"  the  rear 


DRILLING  MASS  CLASSES        93 

rank  man  will  raise  both  arms  from  the 
shoulders  and  push  them  forward,  palms 
downward,  to  the  full  extent,  below  the  front 
rank  man's  shoulders. 

Four.  At  the  command  "Four,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  carry  his  arms  outward  and 
backward  as  in  the  propelling  position  of  the 
breast  stroke. 

Five.  At  the  command  "Five,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  bring  his  arms  to  his  body  with 
his  elbows  pressing  against  his  sides,  forearms 
and  hands  pointing  forward,  with  palms 
down. 

Break.  At  the  command  "Break,"  the 
front  rank  man  will  "Right  About  Face," 
and  both  men  will  come  to  attention. 

Second  Method 

One.  At  the  command  "One,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  raise  his  hands  and  place  them 
on  the  sides  of  the  head  of  the  front  rank 
man,  who  will  lean  his  head  slightly  back. 
The  palms  of  the  hands  should  cover  the 
ears  and  the  fingers  should  point  toward  the 
forehead.  The  rear  rank  man  will  keep  his 
arms  close  together  with  the  elbows  bent. 
The    front    rank    man    will    raise    his    arms 


94  LIFE  SAVING 

slightly     toward     side-horizontal     with     the 
elbows  bent. 

Break.  At  the  command  "Break,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  drop  his  hold  and  both  men 
will  resume  their  original  positions. 

Third  Method 

One.  At  the  command  "One,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  take  a  firm  hold  of  the  arms  of 
the  front  rank  man  just  above  the  elbows 
and  let  the  fingers  sink  into  the  biceps  with 
the  thumb  on  the  outside  and  the  fingers  on 
the  inside. 

Two.  At  the  command  "Two,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  raise  the  arms  of  the  front  rank 
man  until  they  are  at  right  angles  to  the 
body,  and  both  men  will  lean  their  heads 
slightly  back. 

Break.  At  the  command  "Break,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  drop  his  hold  and  both  men 
will  resume  their  original  positions. 

Fourth  Method 

One.  At  the  command  "One,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  step  forward,  push  his  arms 
under  the  armpits  of  the  front  rank  man, 
and  place  his  hands  over  his  chest.     At  the 


DRILLING  MASS  CLASSES        95 

same  time  he  will  raise  his  own  elbows,  thus 
bringing  up  the  front  rank  man's  arms  until 
they  are  at  right  angles  to  his  bodv.  Both 
men  will  lean  their  heads  slightly  back. 

Break.  At  the  command  "Break,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  drop  his  hold  and  both  men 
will  resume  their  original  posit  ions. 

Fifth  Method 

One.  At  the  command  "One,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  step  one  pace  forward  to  the 
right  oblique,  bringing  him  in  line  with  the 
front  rank  man. 

Two.  At  the  command  "Two,"  both  men 
will  left  face. 

Three.  At  the  command  "Three,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  put  his  left  arm  under  the  left 
armpit  of  the  front  rank  man  and  lay  his 
left  hand  across  his  chest. 

Four.  At  the  command  "Four,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  extend  his  right  arm  to  the 
side  as  denned  in  swimming  the  side  stroke, 
both  men  leaning  slightly  to  the  right. 

Break.  At  the  command  "Break,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  drop  his  hold  and  both  men 
will  resume  their  original  positions. 


96  LIFE  SAVING 

Sixth  Method 

One.  At  the  command  "One,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  step  one  pace  forward  to  the 
left  oblique,  bringing  him  in  line  with  the 
front  rank  man. 

Two.  At  the  command  "Two,"  both  men 
will  left  face. 

Three.  At  the  command  "Three,"  the  front 
rank  man  will  place  his  left  hand  upon  the 
left  shoulder  of  the  rear  rank  man. 

Four.  At  the  command  "Four,"  the  rear 
rank  man  will  extend  the  right  arm  to  the 
right  side  and  pull  back  with  the  left  arm  as 
defined  in  the  side  stroke,  both  men  leaning 
slightly  to  the  right. 

Break.  At  the  command  "Break," 
the  front  rank  man  will  drop  his  hold  and 
both  men  will  resume  their  original  posi- 
tions. 

Note:  In  order  that  each  man  may  go 
through  the  drill,  the  command  "Change 
Ranks"  will  be  given,  at  which  time  both 
men  will  right  about  face,  the  front  rank 
becoming  the  rear  rank  and  vice  versa,  and 
the  drills  will  be  gone  through  in  the  same 
manner  as  before. 


DRILLING  MASS  CLASSES        97 

Rescue  Drill  in  Water 
After  the  instructor  has  given  the  prelim- 
inary commands,  "Fall  In,"  "Attention," 
"Right  Dress  -  -  Dress,"  "Eyes  -  -  Front," 
"Count  Off  In  Twos  From  The  Right  Flank 
—Count,"  "Twos  Right— March,"  "Halt," 
"Left  Face— Face,"  "From  The  Right  Extend 
— March,"  as  described  in  the  release  drills 
on  land,  he  will  proceed  as  follows: 

Rescue  drill  in  water — Rear  rank  to  act  as 
rescuers. 

First  Method 

Ready.  At  the  command  "Ready,"  the 
front  rank  will  step  to  the  edge  of  the  float 
or  pool  and  stand  prepared  to  plunge. 

Go.  At  the  command  "Go,"  the  front  rank 
will  plunge  into  the  water,  swim  a  distance  of 
at  least  forty  feet,  about  face,  and  by  treading 
water  remain  facing  the  starting  point. 

Note:  In  each  of  the  remaining  five  meth- 
ods, the  front  rank  will  not  about  face,  but 
will  tread  water,  facing  away  from  the  start- 
ing point. 

Rescuers  —  Ready.  At  the  command 
"Ready,"  the  rear  rank  will  step  forward 
and  be  prepared  to  plunge. 


98  LIFE  SAVING 

Go.  At  the  command  "Go,"  the  rear  rank, 
as  rescuers,  will  plunge  into  the  water  and, 
upon  reaching  the  front  rank,  will  go  through 
the  drill  as  performed  on  land  without  further 
counts,  towing  the  front  rank  man  to  the  side 
of  the  pool  or  float.  At  the  completion  of  the 
command  ordered,  both  ranks  will  resume 
their  original  positions. 

Note:  After  each  method  has  been  prac- 
ticed, the  command  "Change  Ranks"  will  be 
given,  and  the  drills  will  be  gone  through 
again  in  the  changed  positions,  thus  enabling 
each  man  to  take  the  part  of  the  rescuer. 
After  the  last  method  has  been  practiced,  the 
class  will  be  dismissed  by  the  commands  de- 
fined in  the  land  drills. 

Resuscitation  Drill 
After  the  instructor  has  given  the  pre- 
liminary commands,  "Fall  In,"  "Attention," 
"Right  Dress  -  -  Dress,"  "Eyes  -  -  Front," 
"Count  Off  In  Twos  From  The  Right  Flank 
— Count,"  "Number  Ones  Raising  The  Right 
Arm  and  Number  Twos  Raising  The  Left 
Arm— From  The  Right  Extend— March,"  as 
described  in  the  preliminary  land  drills,  he 
will  proceed  as  follows:    (Note:  The  instruc- 


DRILLING  MASS  CLASSES         99 

tor  should  be  sure  that  there  is  a  space  of 
from  six  to  eight  feet  between  each  team  of 
men.) 

One.  At  the  command  "One,"  number  one 
(the  man  on  the  right  of  the  team)  will  go  to 
the  floor  or  ground,  dropping  first  to  the  right 
knee,  then  to  the  left,  and  then  falling  for- 
ward on  the  hands,  and  will  lie  down  on  his 
chest,  resting  the  left  side  of  the  face  on  the 
floor  or  ground,  with  the  upper  arms  at  right 
angles  to  the  body. 

Two.  At  the  command  'Two,"  number 
two  will  then  go  down  on  both  knees,  first 
right  then  left,  astride  of  number  one,  fac- 
ing to  the  front.  He  will  then  place  his 
hands  in  the  small  of  number  one's  back 
with  the  thumbs  parallel,  pointing  toward  the 
head,  and  close  to  the  spine,  with  the  fingers 
extended  as  wide  as  possible  on  each  side  of 
the  body. 

Three.  At  the  command  "Three,"  number 
two  will  lean  forward,  steadily  allowing  his 
weight  to  fall  upon  both  hands,  with  elbows 
rigid,  slowly  but  with  a  firm  downward  pres- 
sure, so  that  the  lower  chest  of  number  one 
is  pressed  against  the  floor.  At  the  finish  of 
this  pressure  there  should  be  a  slight  extra 


100  LIFE  SAVING 

push,  not  severe  enough  to  be  violent,  and 
yet  heavy  enough  to  be  sure  that  all  the  air 
has  been  forced  out  of  the  lungs. 

Four.  At  the  command  "Four,"  number 
two  will  swing  backward,  releasing  all  pres- 
sure, but  without  removing  his  hands  from 
the  body  of  number  one. 

Go.  At  the  command  "Go,"  number  two 
will  continue  in  regular  time,  at  the  rate  of 
twelve  to  fifteen  times  a  minute,  the  move- 
ments described  under  the  commands 
"Three"  and  "Four." 

Halt.  At  the  command  "Halt,"  number 
two  will  complete  command  "Four"  and  will 
come  to  attention  in  a  kneeling  position. 

Re-form.  At  the  command  "Re-form," 
both  men  will  resume  their  original  position 
in  line  at  attention. 

Change  --  Places.  At  the  command 
"Change— Places,"  number  twos  will  step 
backward  and  to  the  right,  and  number  ones 
will  step  forward  and  to  the  left,  until  each 
is  in  the  position  vacated  by  his  partner.  All 
the  class  will  then  come  to  attention.  The 
instructor  will  then  proceed  to  repeat  his 
commands  with  the  men  in  the  changed 
positions. 


DRILLING  MASS  CLASSES      101 

Note:  At  the  completion  of  the  drills,  the 
command  "Break  Ranks"  will  be  given,  at 
which  time  the  line  will  be  broken  and  the 
company  dismissed.  An  illustration  of  the 
method  of  operating  a  pnlmotor  or  lung- 
motor  should  be  given  to  the  class,  and  if 
this  is  done  clearly  and  carefully  no  drill  with 
this  is  necessary. 


VIII 

ORGANIZATIONS  IN  THE  UNITED 
STATES  ENGAGED  IN  LIFE  SAV- 
ING 

Massachusetts  Humane  Society 

The  story  of  organized  life  saving  dates 
back  to  1785,  when  Dr.  Noyes,  a  Mind  phy- 
sician of  Boston,  with  a  group  of  fellow  towns- 
men, met  at  the  "Bunch  of  Grapes  Tavern," 
and  organized  the  "Humane  Society  of  the 
Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,"  with 
Hon.  James  Bowdin  as  their  President.  The 
Society  was  organized  "for  the  recovery  of 
persons  who  meet  with  such  accidents  as 
produce  in  them  the  appearance  of  death, 
and  for  promoting  the  cause  of  humanity  by 
pursuing  such  means  from  time  to  time  as 
shall  have  for  their  object  the  preservation 
of  human  life,  and  the  alleviation  of  its 
miseries." 

The  Society   was  distinguished   in   various 

ways.     On  the  beaches  of  Massachusetts,  be- 

102 


ORGANIZATIONS  1 0.3 

ginning  on  Lovell's  Island,  in  1786,  it  built 
small  huts  in  which  people  who  escaped  to 
shore  from  wrecked  vessels  could  find  shelter, 
and  it  placed  in  them  fuel  and  food.  It  also 
built  life-boats  and  placed  the  first  one  con- 
structed at  Cohasset  in  October,  1807.  This 
date  is  important  because  it  marks  the  first 
attempt  made  in  America  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  life  from  shipwreck.  The  Society  gave 
rewards  to  all  persons  who  especially  dis- 
tinguished themselves  in  saving  life.  The 
giving  of  medals  to  those  who  risked  their 
lives  to  save  the  shipwrecked,  appealed  to 
and  cultivated  the  love  of  honor. 

From  this  humble  beginning  over  a  century 
and  a  quarter  ago,  the  Society  has  grown 
until  today  it  has  about  fifty  stations  along 
the  Massachusetts  coast.  There  is  equip- 
ment now  at  all  of  these,  but  the  amount  and 
type  of  it  varies  at  different  stations.  It 
includes  large  power  life-boats,  large  and 
small  surf-boats,  dories,  sets  of  guns  and 
breeches-buoys,  blankets,  and  fuel.  The  best 
boat  used  by  the  Society  is  a  thirty  foot  self- 
bailing,  self-righting  power  boat.  It  is  sim- 
ilar to  other  life-boats  in  general  appearance, 
with  one  exception.     The  propeller  is  located 


104  LIFE  SAVING 

in  a  sort  of  tunnel,  aft,  in  order  to  enable  the 
boat  to  be  beached  without  injury  to  the 
propeller.  It  also  saves  the  latter  from 
becoming  fouled  with  wreckage  of  any  sort. 
Another  valuable  addition  to  the  Society's 
equipment  is  an  ice  life-boat  for  the  purpose 
of  life  saving  on  frozen  lakes  and  rivers.  It 
has  specially  designed  runners,  so  that  the 
boat  can  be  pushed  over  the  ice  easily  and 
also  pulled  on  to  the  ice  from  the  water.  To 
enable  it  to  return  to  the  ice  or  shore  without 
difficulty  it  is  provided  with  an  ice-kedge. 
Two  of  these  boats  have  been  in  use  for  a  con- 
siderable time,  and  it  is  the  intention  of  the 
Society  to  place  others  on  the  banks  of  dan- 
gerous streams  or  pords  where  there  is  danger 
that  accidents  may  occur.  Along  the  shores 
of  some  of  the  rivers  and  lakes,  especially 
around  Boston,  are  kept  life-buoys  and  lad- 
ders fitted  with  strong  sickle-shaped  hooks, 
and  apparatus  for  the  recovery  of  people  who 
have  sunk  to  the  bottom.  Most  of  the  sta- 
tions have  regular  keepers  to  see  that  the 
equipment  is  in  effective  condition  and  that 
there  are  competent  men  to  handle  it.  1 1  is 
their  duty  lo  see  that  the  required  articles  are 
at  hand  and  that  they  are  ready  for  instant 


ORGANIZATIONS  105 

use.  The  keepers  receive  only  a  small  salary 
for  keeping  the  stations  in  order,  but  the 
crews  are  rewarded  on  occasion  of  their  doing 
rescue  work. 

The  work  of  the  Society  not  only  reaches 
shipwrecked  cases  and  drownings,  but  deals 
with  a  great  many  first  aid  cases,  and  classes 
in  general  volunteer  work.  In  their  reports 
they  give  minute  instructions  to  the  captains 
and  volunteer  seamen:  instructions  for  res- 
cuing drowning  persons;  in  resuscitating  the 
apparently  drowned;  in  first  aid  treatment  of 
wounds,  fractures,  sprains,  frost-bites,  sun- 
stroke, burns,  poisoning,  etc. 

The  entire  work  of  the  Society  is  charitable 
and  no  salary  is  received  by  any  member  of 
the  corporation,  which  is  governed  by  a 
board  of  twelve  trustees.  They  make  it  a 
definite  point  not  to  solicit  contributions,  and 
simply  request  that  persons  who  are  willing  to 
contribute  to  the  support  of  life  saving  should 
inquire  into  the  work  being  done  by  the 
various  organizations  which  have  this  object. 
As  in  many  such  organizations,  there  is  avail- 
able only  a  limited  amount  of  information 
concerning  the  results  accomplished  by  this 
Society.    Untold  hundreds  who  have  received 


106  LIFE  SAVING 

assistance  are  unrecorded,  and  a  far  greater 
amount  of  good  has  been  done  than  can  be 
stated  in  figures,  for  the  value  of  precau- 
tionary means  is  inestimable.  We  can  realize 
the  efficient  and  well  organized  work  that  is 
being  carried  on,  when  we  view  the  fact  that 
over  2,000  awards  in  the  form  of  medals, 
clasps,  and  certificates,  and  over  $25,000.00 
in  pecuniary  rewards,  have  been  given  out  by 
the  Society. 

U.  S.  Volunteer  Life  Saving  Corps 
The  organization  now  known  as  the  U.  S. 
Volunteer  Life  Saving  Corps  has  been  in  ex- 
istence over  twenty  years,  but,  owing  to  the 
lack  of  accurate  records  up  to  190(5,  the  his- 
torical facts  remain  somewhat  obscure.  Mr. 
Edwin  P.  Ayers  and  the  late  Col.  J.  W. 
Jones  were  the  men  most  concerned  in  the 
formation  of  the  Corps  in  New  York.  At 
first  the  work  was  supported  wholly  by  sub- 
scriptions. In  1890  articles  of  incorporation 
were  secured  from  New  York  State.  On  a 
subscription  basis  the  work  was  started  in  a 
number  of  Stales.  While  subscriptions  fur- 
nished the  means  for  making  a  start,  they 
were   not  sufficient   to   make   it  possible   to 


ORGANIZATIONS  107 

continue  the  work,  unless  local  support  was 
added.  Consequently,  many  corps  outside 
of  New  York  State  took  the  initial  plunge, 
but  found  it  difficult  to  keep  the  work  going. 
Where  there  were  officers  in  charge  who  were 
interested  and  enthusiastic  in  their  work,  the 
corps  prospered,  even  with  a  lack  of  funds, 
and  some  of  the  original  crews  are  doing  good 
work  today.  In  the  majority  of  cases,  how- 
ever, when  the  funds  for  supervision  were 
lacking,  the  interest  in  the  work  gradually 
died  out,  until  today  only  a  few  remain.  At 
that  time  persons  who  organized  crews  were 
given  rank,  and  a  boat  crew  of  five  men 
sometimes  had  a  full  complement  of  officers. 
There  was  no  fixed  rule  or  test  as  to  qualifi- 
cations for  membership,  and  many  men  were 
accepted  merely  on  their  ability  as  boatmen. 
This  system  speedily  resulted  in  a  large  mem- 
bership, which  was  merely  an  enrolled  one 
and  not  enlisted  as  at  present  (Fig.  57). 

Today  there  are  a  number  of  stations  scat- 
tered over  New  York,  Massachusetts,  New 
Jersey,  Rhode  Island,  Connecticut,  Pennsyl- 
vania, Florida,  Maryland,  and  California. 
The  largest  amount  of  work  being  done  is  in 
and  around  New  York  City.     The  stations 


108 


LIFE  SAVING 


ORGANIZATIONS  10!) 

vary  as  to  equipment  in  proportion  to  their 
funds  and  location.  Some  stations  have 
boats,  buoys,  ropes,  lights,  first  aid  eases, 
and  extensive  minor  equipment,  while  at 
other  places  there  is  simply  a  buoy  hung  on 
a  peg  all  the  year  round.  The  corps  in  New 
York  has  an  appropriation  from  the  City  of 
New  York.  While  the  organization  has  en- 
listment blanks  for  each  applicant  to  fill  out, 
and  various  forms  and  documents  which  give 
the  impression  of  a  wide-spread  movement, 
its  greatest  strength  is  to  be  found  along  the 
Atlantic  coast  and  especially  around  New 
York  City.  Recently  new  corps  have  been 
formed  in  the  south  and  west,  and  it  is  hoped 
to  enlarge  this  number  so  as  to  make  a  more 
general  membership.  Each  State  where  a 
corps  exists  has  its  Board  of  Governors,  and 
it  is  possible  for  the  organization  to  be  repre- 
sented in  every  State.  This  will  be  of  ines- 
timable value  when  it  is  brought  about. 
There  is  also  an  auxiliary  membership  to  the 
Corps  in  which  there  is  a  large  enrolment,  a 
great  many  coming  from  the  members  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Associations  who  fre- 
quently spend  the  summers  at  camps  or  at 
water  resorts. 


110  LIFE  SAVING 

Like  many  volunteer  organizations,  the 
personnel  of  the  Corps  changes  from  year  to 
year,  but  it  aims  to  have  its  members  trained 
and  competent.  It  is  bearing  down  hard  on 
practical  life  saving  and  is  teaching  its  meth- 
ods to  thousands  of  people  wherever  they  can 
be  reached,  regardless  of  age,  sex,  or  condi- 
tion. The  Corps  has  on  its  records  the  names 
of  thousands  of  people  who  have  been  res- 
cued, or  have  been  assisted,  when  in  trouble 
in  the  water.  In  addition  to  the  rescue  work, 
many  days  of  fruitless  yet  hard  and  disagree- 
able labor  are  spent  in  dragging  filthy  and 
muddy  river,  canal,  and  pond  bottoms.  A 
great  many  bodies  have  been  recovered  by 
the  Corps  in  this  manner,  and  have  been 
turned  over  to  their  friends. 

The  Corps  realizes  that  a  practical  working 
knowledge  of  life  saving  is  of  eminent  value 
to  any  person  living  near  the  water.  In 
places  where  people  may  be  drowned  by  fall- 
ing from  docks  or  piers,  or  because  of  acci- 
dents in  small  boats  or  at  bathing  places,  it 
is  a  great  advantage  to  be  able  not  only  to 
take  care  of  oneself,  but  to  help  others.  In 
order  to  spread  this  information,  the  Corps 
gives  to  all  classes  of  people  illustrated  lee- 


ORGANIZATIONS  1 1 1 

tures  on  the  different  methods  of  rescue,  re- 
lease, resuscitation,  and  first  aid.  It  also 
conducts  many  swimming  events  that  interest 
large  groups  of  expert  swimmers,  thus  edu- 
cating the  people  in  advanced  aquatic  work. 
Awards  and  certificates  are  given  after  inves- 
tigation of  any  rescue,  and  the  number  of 
these  runs  into  the  hundreds  every  year. 

The  work  of  the  Corps  is  surely  worthy  of 
the  highest  praise,  and  it  is  hoped  that  in  the 
near  future  it  may  be  made  more  national 
and  far-reaching.  If  there  is  any  one  person 
above  others  to  whom  the  efficient  work  of 
the  organization  is  due,  it  is  Ex-Commodore 
W.  E.  Longfellow,  who  as  General  Superin- 
tendent had  charge  of  the  headquarters  office 
in  New  York.  A  man  of  untiring  devotion  to 
his  work,  and  exceptional  ability  along  the 
line  of  his  chosen  occupation,  Mr.  Longfellow 
worked  day  and  night  striving  to  make  the 
Corps  a  more  efficient  and  better  organized 
body. 

National  Woman's  Life  Saving  League 

Growing  out  of  the  U.  S.  Volunteer  Life 

Saving  Corps  from  a  nucleus  of  ten  women 

swimming    teachers,    was    founded    what    is 


112  LIFE  SAVING 

known  as  the  National  Woman's  Life  Saving 
League.  It  has  today  over  one  thousand 
active  members.  Their  work  is  entirely  edu- 
cational and  altruistic.  They  conduct  free 
classes  in  swimming  at  the  municipal  baths 
in  New  York,  free  competitions  for  the  enter- 
tainment and  benefit  of  their  members,  and 
public  exhibition  drills  for  the  purpose  of 
public  instruction.  The  organization  was 
founded  entirety  for  work  among  women  and 
children,  and  it  aims  "to  encourage  swimming 
among  this  class;  to  cooperate  with  organi- 
zations wherever  advisable  in  the  dissemina- 
tion of  knowledge  on  saving  life  from  drown- 
ing and  first  aid  to  the  injured;  to  encourage 
interest  and  promote  efficiency  in  swimming 
and  life  saving  by  holding  annual  competi- 
tions for  medals,  prizes,  etc.;  to  encourage 
and  advocate  simplicity  and  rationalism  in 
bathing  and  swimming  costumes;  to  establish 
an  athletic  branch  for  the  supervision  of  ath- 
letics for  women  by  women,  in  order  to  raise 
the  dignity  of  such  branches  of  outdoor 
sports,  so  that  all  women  may  participate  in 
the  hea thf ul  and  instructive  exercise  of  swim- 
ming and  life  saving;  and  to  advocate  the 
general   adoption  of  swimming,   life   saving, 


ORGANIZATIONS  113 

rescue,  release,  and  resuscitation  drills  as  a 
branch  of  elementary  education." 

This  league  is  one  that  meets  with  the 
whole-hearted  approval  of  every  person  in- 
terested in  this  subject,  which  is  of  as  great 
importance  to  women  and  children  as  it  is  to 
men  and  boys.  If  branches  of  this  league,  or 
at  least  similar  societies,  can  be  formed  in 
every  city  in  the  land,  the  day  will  rapidly 
approach  when  the  deaths  due  to  accidental 
drowning  will  be  reduced  to  a  minimum. 

Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
Since  its  fundamental  motive  is  to  save 
human  life,  in  a  sympathy  for  distress  which 
many  feel  but  know  little  how  to  express,  there 
is  little  wonder  that  the  life  saving  movement 
was  taken  up  as  a  definite  piece  of  work  by 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  The 
first  event  that  finally  led  to  the  present  Asso- 
ciation swimming  campaigns  occurred  in  1907 
when  Mr.  G.  H.  Corsan  wrote  to  Mr.  W.  II. 
Ball,  who  was  at  that  time  physical  director  of 
the  Detroit  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion, asking  for  the  opportunity  of  going  to 
Detroit  to  teach  swimming.  It  was  finally  ar- 
ranged that  he  should  go  to  Detroit  for  one 


114  LIFE  SAVING 

week.  He  remained  three  weeks,  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  spent  six  weeks  at  that  Associa- 
tion. Later  Mr.  Ball,  in  conference  with  Dr. 
G.  J.  Fisher,  of  the  International  Committee, 
discussed  the  possibility  of  the  Association's 
using  the  full  time  of  Mr.  Corsan,  who  was 
entirely  original  in  his  methods  and  con- 
tagiously enthusiastic  as  a  swimming  in- 
structor. 

Mr.  Corsan's  first  engagement  resulting 
from  this  conference  was  to  spend  several 
weeks  among  the  Brooklyn  and  New  York 
Associations.  His  work  was  excellent  and  lie 
succeeded  in  enthusing  all  the  men  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact,  so  that  at  a  meet- 
ing of  the  Physical  Directors'  Society  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Associations  of  North 
America,  held  at  Omaha,  Nebraska,  May  29 
to  June  5,  1909,  it  was  unanimously  decided 
to  engage  in  a  united  social  service  endeavor 
which  had  for  its  aim,  first,  "The  teaching  of 
swimming  to  every  boy  and  young  man  in 
North  America  who  does  not  already  know 
how  to  swim;"  and,  second,  "The  enlistment 
in  such  instruction  of  the  boys  and  young 
men  in  the  membership  of  the  Association 
who  know  how  to  swim."     The  paramount 


ORGANIZATIONS  115 

thought  was  to  save  as  far  as  possible  the 
lives  of  the  thousands  of  persons  annually 
lost  by  drowning  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada.  Arrangements  were  made  with  Mr. 
G.  H.  Corsan,  whereby  he  became  the  cam- 
paign  swimming  instructor.  Later  his  son, 
Mr.  H.  H.  Corsan,  joined  the  campaign  staff, 
filling  a  number  of  engagements  in  the  south 
during  the  fall  of  1910.  Engagements  were 
secured  for  both  the  father  and  son,  with  the 
result  that  they  were  kept  busy  all  the  year. 
The  Corsans'  method  of  instruction  is 
unique  in  that  they  teach  practically  nothing 
but  the  "Crawl"  stroke  to  beginners.  Their 
aim  is  to  enable  the  pupil  in  the  shortest 
possible  length  of  time  to  propel  himself 
through  the  water.  They  usually  take  from 
twenty-five  to  seventy-five  pupils  at  a  time, 
all  using  water  wings.  Two  lessons  of  thirty 
minutes  each  have  generally  been  found  to  be 
sufficient  to  teach  a  beginner  to  swim  the 
length  of  the  pool.  In  the  Association  cam- 
paign, swimmers  are  divided  into  four  groups, 
the  tests  and  awards  for  these  divisions  which 
enable  a  person  to  go  into  a  higher  group  being 
as  follows:  Beginners — All  men  and  boys  who 
were  not  able  to  swim  before,  but  succeeded 


116  LIFE  SAVING 

in  swimming  at  least  fifty  feet.  Swimmers — 
To  qualify,  a  pupil  must  swim  fifty  yards, 
dive  properly,  swim  on  the  back  fifty  feet. 
Leaders — To  qualify,  a  person  must  teach  at 
least  one  person  to  pass  the  "Beginners' 
test,  swim  two  hundred  yards,  dive  and  bring 
up  objects  from  the  bottom.  Life  Saver — 
Dive  into  from  seven  to  ten  feet  of  water 
and  bring  from  bottom  to  the  surface  a  loose 
bag  of  sand  weighing  ten  pounds;  swim  two 
hundred  yards,  one  hundred  on  the  back, 
without  using  the  hands,  and  one  hundred 
any  other  stroke;  demonstrate  on  land  five 
methods  of  release,  in  water  two  methods  of 
release,  Schafer  method  of  resuscitation;  res- 
cue and  tow  a  person  of  own  weight  a  dis- 
tance of  twenty  yards,  using  two  different 
holds  and  strokes. 

To  recognize  suitably  the  service  of  any 
member  of  a  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation who  saves  the  life  of  another  person 
from  drowning  Life  Saving  Medallions  are 
awarded.  These  medallions  arc  in  bronze, 
silver,  and  gold,  the  style  awarded  in  each 
ease  being  determined  by  the  degree  of  dan- 
ger involved  and  the  skill  and  courage  shown 
in  making  the  rescue.     Awards  are  granted 


ORGANIZATIONS  117 

only  upon  the  request  of  a  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  over  the  signature  of 
the  President,  General  Secretary,  and  Pin  si- 
cal  Director.  The  cost  of  the  award  will  be 
eared  for  bv  the  local  Association.  Bronze, 
$2.50;  Silver,  $5.00;  Gold,  $15.00.  The  type 
of  medallion  granted  will  be  decided  in  every 
instance  by  the  National  Committee  on 
Awards. 

The  mere  statement  of  the  number  taught 
to  swim  in  these  campaigns  gives  only  a  par- 
tial idea  of  the  results  accomplished.  There 
are  hundreds  of  young  men  and  boys  who 
have  been  given  the  fundamentals  of  swim- 
ming and  life  saving  and  who,  although  they 
cannot  pass  the  test,  have  enough  information 
to  build  upon,  so  that  with  a  little  practice 
they  acquire  the  art  of  swimming.  There  are 
also  a  vast  number  who  are  influenced  indi- 
rectly and  who  afterward  determine  to  learn 
to  swim.  An  impetus  has  also  been  given 
to  other  organizations  to  propagate  similar 
movements.  The  first  year  of  the  campaigns, 
about  15,000  boys  and  young  men  received 
instruction;  during  1911  and  1912  there  were 
added  nearly  SO, 000,  and  out  of  that  number 
over    1£,000    were   taught    to   swim    at    least 


118  LIFE  SAVING 

fifty  feet  and  pass  the  beginners'  test.  To 
date,  over  300,000  young  men  and  boys  have 
received  instruction  since  the  organization  of 
these  campaigns,  and  over  1,000  have  passed 
the  test  for  rescuing  and  resuscitating  per- 
sons apparently  drowned.  In  addition,  sev- 
eral hundred  thousand  have  attended  lectures 
and  witnessed  demonstrations  of  swimming 
and  life  saving. 

To  conserve  and  perpetuate  the  benefits  of 
the  swimming  campaigns,  it  is  the  desire  of 
many  Association  men  to  organize  swimming 
and  life  saving  clubs  of  ten  or  more  members 
in  every  Association  having  a 'pool,  or  located 
near  water  where  swimming  and  bathing  is 
possible.  At  present  there  are  about  seventy- 
five  of  these  clubs,  although  most  of  them 
emphasize  only  swimming.  Many  Associa- 
tions have  enthusiastic  boat  and  canoe  clubs, 
while  even  a  greater  per  cent  conduct  summer 
camps  where  large  groups  of  men  and  boys 
spend  their  vacations.  Some  of  these  camps 
have  branches  of  the  American  Red  Cross  or 
the  U.  S.  Volunteer  Life  Saving  Corps. 

While  these  plans  are  good,  they  do  not 
meet  the  problem  in  a  sufficiently  definite  way. 
For   this   reason,   at    the   Physical  Directors' 


ORGANIZATIONS  119 

Society  Conference  in  1912,  the  swimming 
committee  recommended  that  a  National 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  Life  Sav- 
ing organization  should  be  formed.  The 
committee  was  accordingly  asked  to  draw 
up  a  constitution  or  form  of  organization 
and  present  it  at  the  conference  in  1913. 
The  committee  was  unanimous  on  the  value  of 
the  following  points:  the  promoting,  by  cor- 
respondence, of  life  saving  clubs  in  local 
Associations;  the  organization  of  a  National 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  Life  Sav- 
ing Society;  the  awarding  of  life  saving  hero 
medallions,  after  the  receipt  from  local  Asso- 
ciations of  full  and  authentic  information  on 
the  essential  facts  of  any  rescue  reported. 

These  life  saving  clubs  should  have  a  con- 
stitution, officers,  and  committees  thoroughly 
trained  in  methods  of  life  saving,  and 
equipped  with  apparatus,  such  as  buoys,  first 
aid  outfits,  charts,  boats,  etc.  The  object  of 
the  organization  should  be  to  promote  life 
saving,  so  that  every  man  would  be  able  to 
rescue  and  resuscitate  anyone  in  danger  of 
drowning.  There  should  be  an  element  of 
competition,  so  that  the  men  in  the  corps 
would  be  stimulated   to  develop   themselves 


120  LIFE  SAVING 

as  expert  life  savers.  A  national  organization 
would  guide  the  movement  in  the  best  way 
and  make  it  a  source  of  great  good  to  every 
individual  community.  It  should  be  the  aim 
of  every  physical  director  to  lower  the  per- 
centage of  those  unable  to  swim,  not  only 
among  the  membership  of  his  Association, 
but  also  among  the  members  of  the  whole 
community,  and  to  raise  the  percentage  of 
those  able  to  care  for  others  as  well  as  for 
themselves  (Fig.  58). 

An  example  of  an  efficient  Association  life 
saving  group  is  the  Student  Life  Saving 
Corps  of  the  International  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  College  at  Springfield, 
Massachusetts.  During  the  fall  of  1911  Dr. 
J.  H.  McCurdy's  class  in  the  "Gospel  of  the 
Kingdom"  studied  and  discussed  several  of 
the  existing  conditions  in  the  student  life, 
one  of  them  being  the  dangers  of  skating, 
canoeing,  and  swimming  in  and  on  Massasoit 
Lake.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  look 
into  the  matter  of  establishing  a  branch  of 
the' Massachusetts  Department  of  the  U.  S. 
Volunteer  Life  Saving  Corps.  This  commit- 
tee met  with  Prcf.  G.  B.  Affleck  and  went 
carefully   over   all    the   details,    such    as   the 


ORGANIZATIONS 


121 


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122  LIFE  SAVING 

expense,  time,  etc.,  that  .such  an  organization 
would  require  of  the  students.  Then  the 
committee  recommended  to  the  Student  Cab- 
inet (and  with  the  latter's  advice  to  the 
student  body,  at  one  of  the  chapel  exercises) 
that  the  students  should  take  steps  toward 
the  organization  of  such  a  corps,  the  aim 
being  to  make  it  an  integral  part  of  the 
student  activities.  This  was  done,  and  a 
corps  of  about  forty  men  were  enrolled. 

That  the  organization  has  proved  a  benefit 
to  the  neighborhood  has  been  demonstrated 
beyond  doubt.  During  the  skating  season, 
especially  when  the  ice-cutters  are  at  work, 
the  people  from  the  city  have  difficulty  in 
telling  the  thin  ice  from  that  which  is  good, 
as  new  strips  are  cut  each  day  and  the  open 
water  freezes  over  rapidly.  The  aim  of  the 
corps  is  not  to  guarantee  absolute  protection, 
as  the  students  have  not  the  time  to  patrol 
the  whole  lake  thoroughly,  but  rather  to  use 
precautionary  methods,  such  as  a  patrol  and 
lanterns,  and  when  accidents  occur  to  aid  in 
rescue  and  resuscitation,  if  the  latter  is  neces- 
sary. The  corps  has  already  had  a  number 
of  rescues  to  its  credit,  the  unfortunate  vic- 
tims having  been  taken  to  the  college  build- 


ORGANIZATIONS  123 

ings,  where  hot  baths  and  dry  clothes  were 
provided  for  them.  The  corps  at  this  station 
is  young,  and  like  all  young  organizations, 
has  a  great  deal  to  learn  regarding  the  best 
hours  for  work,  proper  equipment,  efficient 
service,  and  a  sacrificing  spirit.  The  men 
realize  that  a  knowledge  of  self-preservation, 
when  life  is  endangered,  is  just  as  important 
and  as  necessary  in  their  work  as  skill  in 
saving  the  victim.  With  the  increase  of  this 
knowledge  will  come  efficiency  in  saving  life 
and  maintaining  health,  with  the  minimum 
of  personal  risk.  The  members  of  the  corps 
are  instructed  in  definite  and  specific  methods 
of  rescue  and  resuscitation,  with  the  idea  of 
becoming  more  efficient  in  meeting  the  prob- 
lems that  will  continue  to  confront  them.  In 
this  manner  those  members  of  the  corps  who 
are  in  the  graduating  class  each  year  will  feel 
competent  to  organize  and  train  similar 
groups  in  the  communities  that  they  may 
enter,  thus  carrying  out  the  Association's 
policy  of  being  of  the  greatest  service  possible 
to  all  mankind. 

American  Red  Cross  Life  Saving  Corps 
The  following  outline  of  the  purpose  and 


124  LIFE  SAVING 

methods  of  the  Life  Saving  Corps  will  give  a 
clear  indication  of  its  scope.1 

Organization  and  Government 

As  Life  Saving  is  really  "Water  First  Aid,"  it 
is,  therefore,  placed  under  the  First  Aid  Division 
of  the  Red  Cross,  and  is  administered  by  the 
officer  in  charge  of  that  Division  with  thecoopera- 
tion  of  the  National  Committee  of  the  Life  Saving 
Corps,  a  subcommittee  of  the  National  First  Aid 
Committee.  The  Chairman  of  the  National  First 
Aid  Committee  is  also  ex-officio  a  member  of  the 
National  Committee  of  the  Life  Saving  Corps. 

"Whenever  a  local  corps  is  formed  its  members 
ipso  facto  become  members  of  any  Red  Cross 
Chapter  that  may  be  in  existence  in  their  vicinity. 
Any  local  corps  attached  to  a  Red  Cross  Chapter 
should  be  represented  either  on  the  Executive 
Committee  of  the  chapter,  on  its  First  Aid  Com- 
mittee, or  both,  as  may  be  decided  by  the  Chap- 
ter. 

The  Objects  of  the  ('ours 

1.  To  develop  sentiment  and  facilities  for  safe- 
guarding human  life  from  drowning. 

2.  To   teach   precautions   that    should   be  ob- 


1  The  following  section  is  taken  from  the  circular  issued 
by  th«'  American  Red  Cross  Society,  June,  1916. 


ORGANIZATIONS  1 25 

served  on  water  and  "safety"  or  preventive  meas- 
ures necessary  to  avoid  accidents. 

3.  To  prevent  drowning  by: 

a.  Teaching  swimming  and  boat  handling. 

b.  Holding  swimming  and  life  saving  ex- 

hibitions. 

c.  Promoting    swimming    and  life  saving 

competitions. 

d.  Giving  instruction  in  the  various  meth- 

ods of  performing  artificial  respira- 
tion. 

4.  To  rescue  those  in  peril  of  drowning. 

5.  To  resuscitate  persons  apparently  drowned. 

6.  To  teach  its  members  first  aid  to  the  in- 
jured, and  to  instruct  others,  or  non-member-, 
in  this  work. 

In  accordance  with  the  foregoing  purposes  cer- 
tain standards  of  efficiency  have  been  established. 

A.  FOR  NON-MEMBERS: 

1.  Beginners  must  be  able  to  swim  fifty  feet, 

using  any  stroke  they  prefer. 

2.  Swimmers  must  be  able  to  swim  one  hun- 

dred yards,  using  two  or  more  strokes; 
to  dive  properly  from  a  lake  off;  to  swim 
on  back  fifty  feet;  and  to  retrieve  objects 
at  reasonable  depths  from  I  lie  surface. 

3.  Life  Savers  must   be  able  to  tow  a   person 

of  their  own  weight  ten  yards  by  each  of 
the  following  methods: 


126  LIFE  SAVING 

a.  Head  carry,  using  two  hands  and  swim- 
ming on  back. 

b.  Under  arm  carry,  using  two  hands  and 

swimming  on  back. 

c.  Across  chest  carry,  using  one  arm  and 

side  stroke. 

d.  Using  breast  stroke,  hands  of  rescued 

on  shoulders.  They  must  be  able 
to  show  in  the  water  three  methods 
of  releasing  themselves  from  people 
in  peril  of  drowning  when  grasped 
by: 

(1)  Wrist  hold. 

(2)  Front  neck  hold. 

(3)  Back  neck  hold. 

They  are  required  to  demonstrate  both  the 
Schafer  and  Sylvester  methods  of  perform- 
ing   artificial    respiration,    although    the 
Schafer  method  is  the  one  preferred. 
Candidates  who  qualify  for  any  of  these  grades 
before  a  Board  of  Examiners  of  a  city,  district, 
or  local  Life  Saving  Corps  may  purchase  appro- 
priate buttons   either  from  the  First  Aid  Division 
or  from  a  local  corps. 

B.  FOR  MEMBERS: 

The  establishment  of  the  foregoing  grades  of 
swimming  efficiency  is  meant  to  lead  up  to  the 
higher  standard  of  efficiency   required   of   candi- 


ORGANIZATIONS  127 

dates  for  membership  in  the  Life*  Saving  Corps. 
First  Aid  to  the  Injured  will  be  taught  to  mem- 
bers, and  the  art  of  swimming  and  of  boat  hand- 
ling. This  instruction  must  be  developed  further 
by  frequent  practice. 

Membership  is  restricted  to  men  of  good 
character,  who  must  be  eighteen  years  of  age 
or  over.  After  passing  prescribed  life  saving 
tests,  and  agreeing  to  enroll  themselves  for  ser- 
vice for  a  period  of  two  years,  they  may  become 
members  of  local  corps  upon  payment  of  the 
necessary  fee  to  the  Red  Cross. 

The  tests  which  candidates  for  membership  are 
required  to  pass  are  the  following: 

1.  Give  written   answer  to  five  questions  on 

rescue  and   resuscitation  work,  attaining 
an  average  of  75  per  cent. 

2.  Explain  and  demonstrate  the  Sylvester  and 

Schafer  methods  of  artificial  respiration. 

3.  Tow   a  person   of   their   own   weigiit   for  a 

distance  of  fifty  feet. 

4.  Keep  a  person  of  their  own  weight  (who  is 

dressed  in  trousers,  coat,  and  shoes)  afloat 
for  one  minute. 

5.  Dive   from   the   surface  of  the   water   to  a 

reasonable   depth    and   bring   to   the   sur- 
face a  ten-pound  sand  bag. 

6.  Break  the  following  holds: 


128  LIFE  SAVING 

Ox  Land: 

a.  Wrist  hold. 

b.  Front  neck  hold. 

c.  Back  neck  hold. 

d.  Both  arms  and  body. 

e.  Over  and  under  shoulder. 

In  the  Water: 

a.  Front  neck  hold. 

b.  Back  neck  hold. 

After  joining  members  are  expected  to  familiar- 
ize themselves  with  the  waters  of  the  locality 
which  their  corps  has  elected  to  cover  or  which 
has  been  assigned  to  it. 

In  order  that  yachtsmen,  canoeists,  and  other 
individuals  who  are  constantly  on  water  and  yet 
are  unable  to  affiliate  with  any  fixed  station  or 
local  corps  may  become  members,  provision  has 
been  made  for  non-corps  members,  or  members- 
at-large. 

To  join  the  Life  Saving  Corps  as  a  non-corps 
member,  candidates  must  take  the  same  tests 
as  applicants  for  membership  in  local  corps 
from  a  Board  of  Examiners,  and  after  passing  will 
receive  the  member's  medallion,  paying  the 
usual  fees  lo  the  First    Aid   Division. 

To  provide  supervision  of  the  dangerous  water- 
ways of  our  populous  centers,  the  formation  of 
permanent  local  Life  Saving  Corps  is  authorized. 
Such    corps   are   self-supporting   under    the   rules 


ORGANIZATIONS  129 

and  regulations  of  the  American  Red  Cross. 
Authority  to  form  local  corps  and  applications 
for  charters  for  same  must  be  made  to  the 
officer  in  charge  of  the  First  Aid  Division  Ameri- 
can National  Red  Cross,  Washington,  D.  C. 

To  include  persons  under  eighteen  years  of  age 
in  the  membership,  when  considered  desirable  by 
local  corps,  auxiliary  corps,  composed  of  boys 
under  eighteen  may  be  organized  as  adjuncts  to 
them.  Requirements  for  membership  in  auxiliary 
corps  are  the  same  in  all  respects  as  those  for 
local  corps,  except  for  the  age  qualification. 

The  organization  of  auxiliary  corps  permits 
the  entry  of  Boy  Scouts,  members  of  the  Boys' 
Department  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  As- 
sociation, Boy  Clubs,  etc. 

Fees 
When  joining  a  local  corps  each  member  shall 
pay  an  initiation  fee  of  $2.00,  to  be  forwarded 
to  the  First  Aid  Division,  American  Red  Cross. 
This  amount  will  go  to  pay  the  cost  of  the  Ameri- 
can Red  Cross  Life  Saving  medallion  for  members, 
the  certificate  of  membership,  and  the  monthly 
Red  Cross  Magazine.  Each  succeeding  year  there- 
after on  January  1st,  $1.00  must  be  forwarded  by 
every  member  to  the  Bureau  of  Membership  at 
the  National  Headquarters  unless  they  come 
under    the   jurisdiction    of    a   chapter,  in    which 


130  LIFE  SAVING 

event  the  money  should  be  paid  to  the  secretary 
of  the  Chapter.  Any  additional  fees  to  be  paid  to 
local  corps  for  their  current  expenses  shall  be  de- 
termined by  those  organizations. 

All  plans  for  raising  money,  except  as  to  mem- 
bership fees  or  assessments,  examination  fees, 
etc.,  must  be  submitted  to  the  First  Aid  Division 
for  approval. 

Officers  and  Crews 

The  officers  of  local  corps  include  the  Presi- 
dent, Vice-President,  Secretary -Treasurer,  Med- 
ical Officer,  Captain,  Mates,  and  the  Instructor. 

The  Medical  Officer,  Captain,  Mates,  and  In- 
structor of  Life  Saving  Corps  will  all  be  selected 
on  account  of  special  fitness  for  the  particular 
work  required  of  them.  In  order  to  obtain  the 
services  of  a  man  of  position  and  influence  it 
is  not  obligatory  for  the  President  to  pass  the 
water  tests.  The  Executive  Committee  of  a 
corps  will  consist  of  the  President,  Vice-President, 
Secretary -Treasurer,  and  Captain. 

Local  corps  are  divided  up  into  crews  of  from 
six  to  ten  men  each,  under  a  mate,  the  number 
of  mates  and  crews  to  be  determined  by  the 
Executive    Committee   of   each    corps. 

Uniforms 
In  order  that   members  of  local  corps  may  be 


ORGANIZATIONS  131 

recognized  while  on  duty  on  land  and  in  water 
certain  uniforms  have  been  adopted. 

On  land  this  is  a  dark  blue  serge  sack  coat, 
trousers,  and  yachting  cap,  with  the  official  corps 
emblem  worn  on  the  front  of  the  cap  and  on  the 
left  sleeve  of  the  coat  above  the  elbow.  Suitable 
designations  for  the  different  grades  of  officers  are 
permitted  and  should  be  worn  on  the  right  sleeve 
above  the  elbow. 

For  water  work  members  will  wear  dark  blue 
bathing  suits  of  decent  pattern,  with  the  bathing 
emblem  of  the  corps  appearing  on  the  breast. 
This  emblem  is  a  white  life  buoy,  with  red  bands 
and  the  initials  L.  S.  C,  A.  R.  C.  In  the  center 
of  the  ring  is  a  Red  Cross. 

Equipment 

Where  the  local  corps  are  organized  in  yacht- 
ing clubs  or  by  steamship  companies,  in  their 
buildings  or  on  their  ships,  the  equipment,  of 
course,  will  belong  to  such  organizations.  In  all 
other  circumstances  property  purchased  or  ac- 
quired by  the  Life  Saving  Corps  of  the  American 
Red  Cross  shall  be  vested  in  the  Jlwl  Cross. 

Caps,  sleeve  devices,  bathing  emblems,  medals, 
medallions,  and  life  buoys  may  be  purchased 
from  the  First  Aid  Division,  American  Red  Cross. 
Catalogue  will  be  furnished  on  application. 

Quarters  for  corps  should  comprise  a  suitable 


132  LIFE  SAVING 

building  or  room,  with  appropriate  furniture  for 
the  same. 

The  life  saving  outfit  should  include  a  regula- 
tion boat  (18-foot  dory),  oars,  rowlocks,  first  aid 
equipment,  additional  supplies  for  chests,  ring 
buoys  and  lines,  grappling  and  dragging  appa- 
ratus, blankets,  and  stretchers.  Each  buoy  should 
hang  on  a  frame,  with  rope  so  coiled  on  pegs 
that  the  buoy  will  be  ready  for  instant  use. 
Frames  should  be  painted  a  uniform  color  and 
be  stenciled  with  the  name  of  the  corps. 

All  equipment  should  be  frequently  and  reg- 
ularly inspected. 

Local  corps  and  crews  may  be  organized  among 
the  members  of  the  police  and  fire  departments, 
dock  departments,  crews  of  steamship  piers, 
public  baths,  private  natatoriums,  summer  re- 
sorts, bathing  beaches,  summer  camps,  and  in 
all  of  the  brandies  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  and  similar  organizations  throughout 
the  country. 

Awards  for  Proficiency 
Efforts  should  be  made  by  every  legitimate 
means  to  encourage  proficiency  in  life  saving 
work.  Frequent  compel il ions  should  be  held, 
and  in  addition  lo  competitions  conducted  by 
local  corps  it  is  planned,  when  the  organization 
has  progressed   sufficiently,    to    have    an    annual 


ORGANIZATIONS  133 

national  life  saving  competition  covering  all 
branches  of  the  work — that  is,  swimming,  diving, 
life  saving,  buoy  throwing,  boat  handling,  etc 
All  members  are  urged  to  make  themselves  as 
proficient  as  possible  in  these  various  branches 
of  life  saving  work.  If  this  is  carried  out  it  will 
mean  the  practical  certainty  of  saving  lives 
whenever  accidents  occur. 

At  competitions  First  Aid  Medals  and  Cer- 
tificates will  be  awarded  by  the  Red  Cross  to 
successful  contestants. 

Cash  donations,  cups,  articles  of  personal  util- 
ity, or  of  equipment  lor  local  crews  or  corps  may 
be  donated  by  those  interested  in  the  work. 
Just  as  prizes  are  offered  for  the  best  First  Aid 
Work  performed  throughout  the  country,  so  there 
will  be  awarded  annually  prizes  for  the  four 
best  instances  of  life  saving  by  members  of 
the  American  Red  Cross  Life  Saving  Corps  in 
the  following  amounts: 

First $50.00 

Second 25.00 

Third 15.00 

Fourth 10.00 

It  is  the  earnest  wish  of  the  Red  Cross  that 
its  Life  Saving  Corps  may  be  instrumental  in 
preventing  the  loss  of  many  lives. 


134  LIFE  SAVING 

How  to  Form  a  Life  Saving  Corps 

1.  A  Board  of  Examiners,  consisting  of  three 
men,  should  be  obtained.  This  may  be  done  in 
two  ways: 

a.  The    First    Aid    Division,    American    Red 

Cross,  Washington,  D.  C,  will,  whenever 
practicable  and  upon  request,  furnish  the 
services  of  a  life  saving  expert,  provided 
assurances  are  given  that  a  corps  will  be 
formed  if  the  individuals  desiring  to  or- 
ganize one  are  able  to  pass  the  tests 
mentioned  for  membership. 

b.  When  the  services  of    an   expert   from   the 

Division  are  not  available  any  Board  of 
Examiners  of  a  corps  already  established 
may  give  the  written  and  the  practical 
tests  to  all  who  desire  to  make  applica- 
tion for  the  charter,  or  they  may  pass 
three  men  who  desire  to  form  a  corps  and 
recommend  them  to  the  First  Aid  Division 
for  appointment  as  a  Board  of  Examiners. 
Such  a  Board  when  authorized  to  act  may 
pass  the  other  prospective  members  of 
their  corps. 

2.  Ten  men  must  qualify  before  an  application 
for  a  charter  can  be  filed.  When  the  proper 
number  of  individuals  have  passed  the  tests  and 
have  elected  a  President,  Captain,  and  Instructor 
they  should  forward  their  application  with  two 


ORGANIZATIONS  135 

dollars  per  capita  to  the  First  Aid  Division 
American  Red  Cross,  Washington,  D.  C,  upon 
receipt  of  which  a  charter  will  be  issued. 

United  States  Life  Saving  Service 

The  Life  Saving  Service  of  the  United 
States  is  the  most  efficient  organization  in 
existence  for  the  preservation  of  life  and 
property  from  shipwreck.  Previous  to  the 
organization  of  this  important  branch  of  the 
Federal  Government,  there  were  thousands  of 
lives  lost  along  our  shores.  Now  while  we 
sit  in  our  comfortable  homes  on  stormy  win- 
ter nights,  the  men  of  the  Life  Saving  Service 
are  patrolling  in  an  unbroken  line  the  storm- 
swept  shores  of  our  Atlantic,  Pacific,  Gulf, 
and  Lake  coasts.  Year  after  year  the  men 
of  the  Service  are  called  upon  to  brave  dan- 
gers before  which  the  most  courageous  hearts 
might  hesitate,  and  yet  these  men  meet  them 
calmly  and  coolly.  Desperate  and  dangerous 
chances  are  taken,  but  they  are  known  to  be 
so  beforehand.  As  a  brief  review  of  their 
work  will  show,  they  deliberately  go  forth  to 
save  the  lives  of  others,  knowing  in  every 
instance  that  they  are  imperiling  their  own. 

In  P'ebruary,  1871,  Mr.  Sumner  I.  Kimball 


136  LIFE  SAVING 

was  appointed  General  Superintendent  of  the 
Life  Saving  Service.  Previous  to  that  time, 
although  the  Government  had  expended  con- 
siderable money  for  the  "preservation  of  life 
from  shipwreck,"  there  had  been  no  efficient 
and  systematic  work  performed.  Houses  had 
been  built  and  equipped,  but  through  neglect 
and  misuse  had  become  ruined.  From  the 
date  that  Mr.  Kimball  was  appointed  until 
the  present  time,  the  Service  has  prospered 
and  grown  until  today  no  country  can  boast 
a  better  organization  than  ours.  The  able 
work  and  the  self-sacrificing  spirit  of  this 
man  have  in  large  measure  made  this  pos- 
sible. Taking  a  position  at  the  head  of  an 
organization  that  was  far  from  being  effi- 
cient, he  has  raised  the  standards  until  today 
there  is  no  group  of  men  under  any  flag  who 
are  more  competent  in  the  performance  of 
their  particular  duty  than  our  "Heroes  of 
the  Coast." 

The  sea  and  lake  coasts  of  the  United 
States  are  divided  into  districts  with  a  total 
of  over  280  life  saving  stations,  located  at 
special  points  of  danger.  When  we  realize 
that  the  coast  line  of  the  United  States,  ex- 
clusive  of  Alaska,   is   over   10,000   miles   in 


ORGANIZATIONS  137 

extent,  we  can  realize  in  a  small  measure  the 
enormity  of  the  task  confronting  the  Service. 
The  character  of  the  coasts  varies  from  the 
rocky  headlands  of  Maine  to  the  sandy 
shores  of  the  Middle  Atlantic  States.  The 
storms  vary  from  the  terrific  onslaught  of 
the  nor'easters  that  drive  many  ships  upon 
the  shores  of  the  North  Atlantic  coasts,  to 
the  furious  convulsions  of  the  Great  Lakes 
that  arise  with  a  suddenness  unknown  upon 
the  ocean. 

The  personnel  of  the  Service  consists  of  a 
general  superintendent,  who  is  the  chief  offi- 
cer, a  chief  inspector  who  is  an  officer  detailed 
from  the  Revenue  Gutter  Service,  an  as- 
sistant inspector  for  each  district,  a  superin- 
tendent who  is  in  charge  of  each  district,  a 
keeper  who  has  the  direct  control  of  all  tin- 
affairs  at  each  individual  station,  and  the 
regular  surfmen  who  are  selected  as  a  result 
of  examinations  provided  by  the  Civil  Service 
Commission.  The  examination  is  not  scholas- 
tic, but  is  based  on  experience,  physical 
condition,  and  age.  The  number  of  men 
comprising  a  crew  varies  with  each  indi- 
vidual station.  This  is  determined  by  the 
number  of  oars  required  to  pull   the  largest 


138  LIFE  SAVING 

boat  at  each  station.  Six  men  is  about  the 
average.  The  stations  are  plain  buildings, 
designed  to  serve  as  homes  for  the  crews 
and  to  house  the  boats  and  apparatus.  Sur- 
mounting every  station  is  a  lookout  or  ob- 
servatory in  which  a  watch  is  kept  during  the 
day.  Each  station  is  usually  equipped  with 
a  self-righting,  self-bailing  power  life-boat,  a 
surf-boat,  a  boat  carriage,  two  sets  of 
breeches-buoy  apparatus,  life-car,  cork  jack- 
ets, heaving  sticks,  Coston  signals,  signal 
flags,  patrol  lanterns,  a  medicine  chest,  a 
barometer,  a  thermometer,  patrol  checks, 
and  the  articles  necessary  for  rude  house- 
keeping. As  far  as  possible,  all  the  stations 
are  connected  with  each  other  or  with  local 
exchanges  by  telephone. 

The  twenty-four  hours  are  divided  into  a 
day  and  night  watch.  The  day  watch  is 
kept  from  sunrise  to  sunset  by  a  surf  man 
who  is  stationed  in  the  lookout.  The  night 
watch  is  divided  into  four  watches:  the  first, 
which  is  from  sunset  to  eight  o'clock,  is 
known  as  the  "dog  watch";  the  second  is  from 
eight  to  twelve,  the  third  from  twelve  to 
four,  and  the  fourth  from  four  to  sunrise.  If 
the   stations   are   within   five   miles   of   each. 


ORGANIZATIONS  1 39 

other,  two  surfmen  start  out  at  the  beginning 
of  each  new  watch,  one  in  each  direction  along 
the  coast,  and  proceed  to  a  half-way  house 
that  is  located  midway  between  the  stations. 
Here  each  exchanges  a  metal  check  with  the 
surfman  from  the  neighboring  station  and 
then  returns  to  his  respective  station.  If  no 
other  station  is  near,  a  post  is  placed  at  the 
end  of  the  "beat"  and  on  it  is  placed  a  key 
which  fits  a  time-clock,  which  each  surfman 
carries.  He  registers  the  time  and  then  re- 
turns. Upon  the  discovery  of  a  wreck  he 
fires  his  Coston  signal,  which  gives  off  a 
bright  flame,  letting  the  persons  aboard  ship 
see  that  they  have  been  sighted,  and  then  he 
proceeds  to  the  station  or  half-way  house 
anil  gives  the  alarm. 

In  order  to  attain  as  great  a  degree  of 
efficiency  as  possible,  drill  and  practice  with 
the  beach  apparatus  and  boats  is  carried  on 
every  week.  A  friendly  rivalry  results  be- 
tween the  crews  of  the  nearby  stations  and 
surprising  feats  are  accomplished  in  both  day 
and  night  drills.  During  actual  rescue  work, 
when  storm,  tides,  surf,  and  the  movements 
of  the  vessels  in  distress  make  rescue  work 
dangerous,  no  great  speed  can  be  attained. 


140  LIFE  SAVING 

The  familiarity  with  the  apparatus  and  the 
efficiency  developed  in  practice,  however, 
produce  a  speed  that  is  remarkable. 

Most  interesting  is  a  general  summary  of 
the  work  of  the  Service,  since  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  present  system  in  1871  until  1911, 
a  period  covering  forty  years.  Over  20,000 
disasters  were  recorded,  involving  the  lives  of 
over  150,000  persons.  Of  this  number  less 
than  one  per  cent  of  the  lives  involved  were 
lost.  The  vessels  and  cargoes  involved  were 
valued  at  approximately  $300,000,000.  The 
amount  saved,  including  both  ships  and  car- 
goes, reached  nearly  $250,000,000. 

The  hardships  that  have  to  be  endured  by 
the  surfmen  and  keepers  are  tremendous,  and 
there  is  no  body  of  men  who  are  more  ear- 
nestly striving  to  carry  out  the  true  principles 
of  altruism  than  these  of  the  Life  Saving 
Service.  Quiet  and  reticent,  they  hardly  ever 
refer  to  the  experiences  in  which  they  have 
participated,  and  they  look  with  distrust  upon 
the  news  reporter  who  tries  to  "pump"  them 
for  a  story.  They  have  no  fabulous  salary  to 
look  forward  to,  and  they  usually  stay  in  the 
work  because  they  love  it.  Coming,  most  of 
them,  from  families  brought  up  on  the  coasts. 


ORGANIZATIONS  141 

they  naturally  desire  to  help  ships  in  distress, 
and  they  would  perform  their  personal  duly, 
even  without  the  well  organized  Service  of 
which  they  are  members.  Some  of  the  most 
harrowing  experiences  are  met  by  them  in  a 
simple  and  yet  heroic  manner.  Long  patrols 
to  make  through  stinging,  biting  winds  and 
blinding  sands;  the  performance  of  their  duty 
in  the  dead  of  winter,  resulting  often  in 
frozen  toes,  fingers,  etc.;  the  finding  of  dead 
bodies  along  the  shore  after  some  severe 
storm  has  played  havoc  with  shipping— all 
these  experiences  are  met  in  their  day's  work, 
but  are  seldom  referred  to  when  these  big- 
hearted  heroes  gather  round  their  warm 
stoves  of  a  quiet  evening. 


IX 
SUGGESTIONS 

Canoeists  and  Boating  Parties 

Canoeing  and  boating  parties  should  always 
remember  that  in  case  of  an  upset  they 
should,  under  all  conditions,  unless  able  to 
swim  a  good  distance,  remain  by  the  over- 
turned boat.  Many  lives  have  been  lost  by 
a  miscalculation  of  the  distance  to  shore.  An 
ordinary  rowboat  will  keep  six  or  eight  peo- 
ple afloat.  All  should  hang  on  to  it,  but 
should  not  climb  into  it.  Do  not  stand  up  in 
a  boat  or  rock  it.  This  is  even  more  dan- 
gerous when  in  a  canoe.  Do  not  try  to  change 
seats  by  walking  around  in  the  craft.  If  you 
fall  from  a  canoe  without  upsetting  it,  .and 
desire  to  climb  into  it  again,  do  so  by  climb- 
ing in  over  one  end,  not  at  the  middle  (Fig. 
59).  In  a  rowboal  gel  in  over  the  stern.  In 
gel  ting  into  boats  and  canoes,  if  doing  so 
from  a  float  or  low  wharf,  step  into  the  mid- 
dle of  the  craft  and  not  on   the  gunwale  or 

142 


SUGGESTIONS 


143 


144 


LIFE  SAVING 


SUGGESTIONS  145 

near  the  side;  observe  the  same  rule  in  getting 
out  (Fig.  GO).  When  paddling  in  a  canoe, 
always  have  the  paddles  working  on  opposite 
sides.  In  a  storm,  or  in  the  wake  of  a 
steamer,  do  not  get  in  the  trough  of  the  waves, 
but  head  into  them  or  go  at  right  angles, 
pointing  into  the  wind  as  near  as  you  pos- 
sibly can  and  still  get  the  direction  desired. 

Skaters 
If  you  break  through  the  ice,  first  ascertain 
whether  or  not  you  can  touch  bottom  with 
your  feet.  If  beyond  your  depth,  try  to 
slide  yourself  out  flat  on  the  surface  of  the 
ice,  remaining  in  a  prone  position.  If  you 
have  a  jack-knife  in  your  pocket,  open  the 
large  blade,  and  by  stabbing  it  into  the  ice 
you  can  usually  get  a  firm  hold  and  draw 
yourself  out,  keeping  the  body  and  legs  close 
to  the  surface  of  the  water  by  remaining  in  a 
prone  position.  Fatal  accidents  would  be 
rare  if  skaters  would  always  carry  jack- 
knives  in  their  pockets.  They  would  both  aid 
themselves  and  others.  If  assistance  is  at 
hand,  you  should  strive  to  cooperate  and  not 
imperil  the  rescuer  and  yourself  by  unthink- 
ing efforts.    Rescuers  should  look  at  once  for 


146  LIFE  SAVING 

ropes,  rails,  ladders,  poles,  tree  branches,  etc. 
A  coat  can  be  stretched  out,  if  the  rescuer 
can  get  near  enough  to  the  drowning  person. 
Many  lives  have  been  saved  by  rescuers  form- 
ing a  chain,  one  lying  flat  on  the  ice  and 
being  pushed  out  by  another  to  the  person  in 
danger,  each  holding  the  feet  of  the  man  in 
front.  The  foremost  man  of  the  chain  should 
have  a  stick  or  pole  that  he  can  keep  flat  on 
the  ice,  thereby  distributing  his  weight  over 
a  greater  surface. 

River  skating  and  lake  skating,  where  ice- 
cutting  is  going  on,  are  especially  dangerous 
and  great  care  should  be  observed.  Skating 
should  never  be  attempted  alone  after  dark 
or  when  the  ice  is  covered  with  snow.  Tracks 
of  other  skaters  can  sometimes  be  followed, 
but  these  are  often  deceptive,  as  a  number  of 
days  may  have  passed,  and  the  ice  may  have 
become  dangerous  since  the  tracks  were  made. 
Look  out  for  places  where  there  are  bridges 
and  sharp  turns  or  narrow  passages,  where 
the  water  is  deep  and  the  current  strong,  or 
where  brooks  enter  a  river. 

Bathers 
When  a  person  unable  to  swim  falls  into 


SUGGESTIONS  147 

the  water,  he  usually  rises  to  the  surface, 
throws  up  his  anus,  and  calls  for  help.  The 
arm  uplifted  is  thus  deprived  of  the  water's 
support,  and  in  addition  to  the  fact  that 
water  has  been  swallowed,  this  changes  the 
weight  that  is  so  evenly  balanced,  and  imme- 
diately the  person  goes  under  again.  The 
proper  position  for  one  that  cannot  swim  is 
the  upright  position  of  the  walker  on  land, 
with  head  thrown  fully  back  and  im- 
mersed, the  mouth  and  nostrils  alone  remain- 
ing above  the  surface.  In  this  position  most 
persons  float  without  difficulty  and  without 
exertion. 

Avoid  bathing  in  quiet  and  secluded  spots, 
as,  should  an  accident  occur,  a  very  dan- 
gerous condition  may  result.  The  best  time 
to  bathe  is  about  an  hour  or  two  before  a 
meal,  but  on  no  account  should  you  bathe 
shortly  after  a  hearty  meal,  or  when  exhausted 
from  physical  exercise,  or  when  the  body  is 
shivering.  Always  see  that  the  bowels  have 
moved  freely  previous  to  entering  (he  water; 
if  this  habit  is  formed,  the  danger  from 
cramps  in  the  stomach  is  greatly  reduced. 
Always  keep  the  mouth  and  nostrils  clean,  so 
that  breathing  may  not  be  impeded.    Breathe 


148  LIFE  SAVING 

freely,  naturally,  and  regularly.  Avoid  re- 
maining too  long  in  the  water  if  subject  to 
chills. 

Persons  subject  to  giddiness,  faintness, 
numbness,  palpitation,  or  other  heart  troubles 
should  not  bathe  in  open  pools  or  at  beaches 
without  first  consulting  their  medical  adviser. 
Those  subject  to  ear-ache,  deafness,  or  dis- 
charge from  the  ears,  should  use  ear  stopples, 
plug  their  ears  with  cotton,  or  cover  with 
water-proof  caps,  before  entering  the  water. 
They  should  avoid  deep  diving.  If  taken 
with  cramps,  keep  calm,  turn  on  the  back  and 
rub  the  affected  limb.  If  seized  in  the  leg, 
relax  the  toes,  straighten  the  leg  and  rub  the 
muscles  by  applying  friction  massage,  then 
kick  the  surface  of  the  water  until  the  pain  is 
diminished.  If  the  cramps  are  in  the  stomach, 
try  to  get  air  enough  to  enable  you  to  go 
under  the  water  if  necessary,  and  thoroughly 
rub  and  massage  abdominal  muscles;  repeat 
this,  coming  to  the  surface  for  air  as  often  as 
necessary,  until  relieved.  If  you  are  carried 
out  beyond  your  depth,  by  tide  or  current,  try 
to  make  the  shore  farther  down  stream  rather 
than  to  buck  the  current  head  on. 


SUGGESTIONS  140 

Campers 
There  is  an  unnecessarily  large  percentage 
of  campers  drowned  every  year.  In  a  great 
measure  this  is  due  to  carelessness.  At  all 
camps  provision  should  be  made  for  swim- 
ming at  certain  hours  under  supervision,  and 
this  should  be  strictly  adhered  to,  especially 
at  boys'  camps;  some  camps  are  so  strict 
about  this  point  that  a  boy  is  sent  home  im- 
mediately when  he  breaks  this  rule.  A  great 
many  campers  are  thoughtless  about  when 
they  go  into  the  water,  and  many  have  no 
notion  at  all  of  conditions  at  the  spot  when' 
they  are  bathing.  Campers  usually  pick  se- 
cluded and  lonely  places  for  their  camping 
sites,  and  their  bathing  places  for  this  reason 
are  more  than  ordinarily  dangerous.  Follow 
closely  these  suggestions  to  bathers,  skaters, 
campers,  and  boating  parties,  and  the  chances 
of  accident  will  be  great lv  reduced. 


!-i' 


General  Precautions 
In  swimming  pools  great  care  should  be 
exercised  to  ensure  proper  supervision.  No 
boys'  classes  should  ever  be  allowed  in  the 
pool  unless  an  instructor  is  present.  When 
the  boys'  classes  are  in   the  pool,   it  is   ad- 


150  LIFE  SAVING 

visable  to  stretch  a  rope  across  it  at  the 
point  where  the  bottom  starts  to  drop  away. 
This  can  always  be  used  in  emergency  cases 
as  a  life-rope  to  be  grasped  and  held  to. 

Bathers  should  remember  that  if  they  are 
in  need  of  assistance,  and  a  life-buoy  is 
thrown  to  them,  they  should  simply  hold  it 
with  the  hands  and  not  try  to  climb  on  to  it. 

Life  saving  is  a  local  or  municipal  problem. 
Cities  and  towns  have  a  real  responsibility  for 
many  of  the  drownings  that  take  place. 
Danger  points  are  not  guarded;  children  are 
allowed  to  swim  or  skate  in  dangerous 
streams  and  canals,  and  no  safe  public  baths 
are  provided.  If  the  State  handles  the  prob- 
lem and  educates  the  people  to  their  indi- 
vidual responsibilities,  great  good  can  be 
done.  The  municipalities  should  take  care 
of  the  specific  needs  of  their  communities. 
Guards  should  he  kept  at  all  swimming  pools 
and  at  all  main  points  where  skaters  gather. 
A  system  of  different  colored  halls  placed  on 
a  conspicuous  flag-pole  and  indicating  the 
condition  of  the  ice  is  an  excellent  plan, 
showing  when  the  ice  is  good,  fair,  poor,  and 
bad.  At  all  spots  on  public  lakes  where  ice- 
cutters  are  at  work,  they  should  be  made  to 


SUGGESTIONS  151 

enclose  the  dangerous  area  with  red  lanterns 
after  each  day's  work.  At  all  points  of  dan- 
ger there  should  be  placed  life-buoys  with 
ropes  where  they  can  be  reached  quickly  in 
case  of  danger  near  by.  All  cities  should 
provide  municipal  teaching  of  swimming. 
All  children  should  be  compelled  to  take  this 
instruction  as  a  part  of  the  educational  sys- 
tem. If  these  suggestions  were  carried  out, 
together  with  the  solving  of  the  peculiar 
problems  that  face  each  city,  the  number  of 
fatalities  that  occur  each  year  would  be 
greatly  diminished,  and  thousands  of  val- 
uable lives  would  be  saved. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Organization  and  Methods  of  the  United 
States  Life  Saving  Service,  by  S.  J.  Kim- 
ball, General  Superintendent. 

Reports  of  the  Humane  Society  of'  the  Com- 
monwealth of  Massachusetts.  Office,  Bos- 
ton, Mass. 

Reports  of  the  U.  S.  Volunteer  Life  Saving 
Corps.  Office,  1001  World  Building,  New 
York  City. 

Reports  of  the  National  Woman's  Life  Sav- 
ing League.  Office,  50  East  34th  St.,  Man- 
hattan, N.  Y. 

The  Royal  Life  Saving  Society  (Reports  and 
Handbook).  Office,  8  Bay  ley  St.,  London, 
W.  C,  England. 

At  Home  in  the  Water,  by  G.  H.  Corsan. 
Cloth,  $1.00.  Linen  lined  paper,  25  cents. 
Association  Press,  124  East  28th  St.,  New 
York  City. 

A  Manual  of  Marching,  by  Geo.  A.  Cornell. 
The  Seminar  Tub.  Co.,  Springfield,  Mass. 

The  Life  Savers  of  Cape  Cod,  by  J.  W.  Dalton. 
The  Haifa  Press,  Boston,  Mass. 

Speed  Swimming,  by  C.  M.  Daniels.  American 
Sports  Pub.  Co.,  £1  Warren  St.,  New  York  City. 

152 


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